Desert Hot Springs Cleanup Project

Creating a video for the Coachella Valley Conservation Commission was one of those projects that surprised and stayed with me long after the last frame was rendered. We went into wide, sun-scorched desert spaces expecting quiet and solitude — instead we found stories written in discarded tires, rusted appliances, and piles of household trash. Turning those discoveries into a visual narrative was both challenging and eye-opening.

On camera, the desert’s beauty contrasts sharply with the human footprint left behind. Shooting those sites required sensitivity: these were not just littered spots, but places where illegal dumping is altering the landscape and, more alarmingly, threatening the region’s drinking water. Learning how debris can change runoff patterns, leach chemicals into groundwater, and clog natural channels reframed the project from an environmental portrait into an urgent call for awareness and action.

Working with the Commission and local experts made the technical side clear and compelling. We captured interviews with commission leaders, combined aerial shots to show the scale of dumping, and used close-ups to make the consequences feel immediate. Editing the footage, I focused on building a story that balances the stark reality with practical solutions: community cleanups, reporting mechanisms, and preventive enforcement.

This video wasn’t just another assignment — it was a reminder of how closely connected our everyday choices are to the health of shared resources. I’m proud of how I turned difficult subject matter into a piece that informs, motivates, and respects the desert and the people working to protect it.