CLARK COUNTY—On a spring morning, somewhere in Clark County, dozens of sage grouse are strutting their stuff. A tradition for the males who hope to “get lucky,” as outdoor journalist Kris Millgate puts it.
“The males will put on this show where they’ll puff up their chest and they fan their tail feathers and strut right past all the females and hope that they’ll get picked for mating,” she says.
The sage grouse strut happens every morning and evening through early spring in open, bare ground areas known as leks. But fewer birds are able to carry on the tradition. Millgate says 80% of the sage grouse habitat has disappeared since 1965. The remaining habitat survives in states like Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
Millgate’s documentary, called “Sage Wisdom West,” will highlight sage grouse and other animals living in the high desert of the west. Animals viewers may expect to see, and maybe some they don’t. Millgate says while filming a flock of sage grouse a pronghorn antelope wandered into the frame and that was her “ah hah!” moment.
“And he just walked right into my shot,” Millgate says. “He totally photobombed my shot! And in that exact second, I thought, ‘Oh, this is it, this shot’s going in a film. And this issue is worthy of helping people understand what’s going on.’”
The 30-minute documentary will include interviews with ranchers, scientists, activists and members of tribes. All to try to understand the importance of the sagebrush ecosystem.
“I don’t want to tell you what to think on an issue,” Millgate says, “I just want you to think. And so, I want to gather experts that come from all different perspectives and make sure it’s a balanced approach.”
The documentary will debut on Thursday, April 2 at the Colonial Theater in Idaho Falls at 7 p.m. Tickets are available on the Idaho Falls Arts Council website. Other screenings include April 15 at Frazier Hall at Idaho State University, April 22 at the Sublette County Library in Pinedale, Wyoming, and a statewide broadcast on Idaho Public Television on April 22 at 9 p.m. See the screening details here.
In conjunction with the documentary, Millgate has a companion book called “My Place Among Birds.” It’s her way of going behind the scenes of the story of “Sage Wisdom West.”
“People want to know about the wildlife, and I want to showcase the wildlife in the film, then they get curious about what it’s like to be out here crawling around in the desert,” Millgate said. “And so, I don’t want to take away from the wild’s story, so I put the backstory in a book, and that’s what’s in ‘My Place Among Birds.’”
Millgate started reporting about wildlife and outdoor issues more than 20 years ago. She founded her company, Tight Line Media, in 2006. “Sage Wisdom West” carries on her outdoor storytelling mission of raising awareness about the wild world many people don’t get to experience.
“I’m in this element every day. I’m aware of it. I realize not everyone has that privilege and I want them to be aware of it,” Millgate says. “So, it’s a privilege for me to bring them a story that helps raise their awareness for the natural world around them.”