Anna, Emma and the Condors

Winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video, this documentary from filmmaker Katja Torneman showcases the Parish family, who are committed to ensuring the future of the endangered California condor. Chris Parish is a condor field project supervisor at Peregrine Fund, his wife Ellen is a field biologist and local leader of Jane Goodall's Roots and Shoots community organization, and they've brought their ‘tween-aged daughters Anna and Emma into the fold. The homeschooled sisters are definitely interested in the family business of condor preservation (Chris says that they can probably give his presentation better than he can), and they participate with their parents in various chores and leisure activities that make up their “down-to-earth” lifestyle. Combining majestic location footage of the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument (a release site for the animals), up-close contact with condors, and several bird facts (many have suffered from lead poisoning through hunters), Anna, Emma and the Condors offers an interesting look at a family dedicated to a worthy cause. Highly recommended. Aud: J, H, P. (J. Williams-Wood)