MAUMEE, Ohio — Northwest Ohio has long been known as a birder’s paradise due to its location on the southern shore of Lake Erie, but last summer something special happened even by our area’s lofty standards.
You probably remember the saga of Nellie and Nish - the piping plover pair who last summer took up residence on the inland beach of Maumee Bay State Park to become the first pair to nest in Ohio in more than 80 years.
Now you can relive the exciting time as the birds’ story is being retold, for free, this weekend, on the big screen.
Local photographer and filmmaker Christy Frank is screening her new film, Ploverville, on Sunday night (July 10) at the Maumee Indoor Theatre on Conant Street in downtown Maumee.
The 20-minute film is Frank’s first foray into longform filmmaking.
The film debuted in May during Black Swamp Bird Observatory’s annual Biggest Week in America Birding.
It focuses not only the shorebirds - Nelly, Nish, and their three long legged chicks Erie, Maumee, Ottawa and Kickapoo - but the volunteers who watched over them for weeks on end in the summer of 2021.
Over 100 volunteers came out at that time to make sure Nish and Nelly would have the best chance possible to successfully bring their chick’s into the world, and their story is what inspired the filmmaker.
"I fell in love with not only these birds but with the incredible people that were coming out there,” said Frank. "They were so passionate about what they were doing and it was so inspiring to me that I just felt like this story was worth sharing."
Frank is hopeful the film will inspire other people to volunteer for good causes, even if they don’t know much about them at the start.
The Maumee Indoor Theatre is on the corner of Conant St. and the Anthony Wayne Trail.
Doors open at 6 p.m. and the movie starts at 6:30 p.m.
After the presentation of the 20-minute film there will be a question and answer period with the filmmakers.
The event is free but organizers are accepting donations to the Ploverville project.
There will also be a raffle.
Even if you can’t go to enjoy the film you can donate here.
Donations will help researchers find answers to questions about Piping Plover migration and life cycle.
You can learn more about the Maumee Bay Piping Plovers here.