A short Fredonia student made documentary entitled, “Creekology,” will be premiered Wednesday, April 20, at 9 p.m. in Jewett 101. The event is free and open to the public.
“Creekology” is a documentary outlining the many assets of Fredonia’s Canadaway Creek--which is just a hop, skip and a jump away from the Fredonia campus. The creek is known as a destination for many Fredonia students, but the film shows that the land gets abused and suggests this is leading to the overall deterioration of the creek.
“Through my time here at Fredonia, the creek has changed from being an escape to nature to a landscape overrun by garbage,” said Bob Parasiliti, one of the filmmakers. “The University needs to acknowledge the area and action should be taken in a more positive direction of sustainability for one of the community's best assets,” he added.
This film outlines the benefits and unofficial uses of Canadaway Creek and what it offers faculty, students and the community. Students routinely go to the creek for educational purposes. For biology classes the creek offers hands-on, interactive experience to explore a live ecosystem. For geology students, the creek offers a vast collection of sediments and rocks, including Marcellus Black Shale, which contains large untapped gas preserves and is the focus of research by Fredonia Professor Gary Lash.
The film questions how to preserve the creek and proposes that if SUNY Fredonia purchased the land, or a section of the creek, it could create a nature preserve. This could become an asset to SUNY Fredonia and act as an example of conservation and sustainability for future generations to explore and use.
Interviewees included in the film are Senior Tara Escudero, the Student Association’s chair of Department of Environmental Affairs, and Jack Berkley, professor emeritus of geosciences.
The documentary was created by two Fredonia seniors: Robert S. Parasiliti from Mayville, N.Y. and Matthew M. Cole from Waterford, N.Y.
Parasiliti is a senior Video Production major who is taking a minor in film studies. He graduated from Chautauqua Lake High School. Cole is a senior majoring in Video Production and Audio/Radio Production. He is minoring in business, and graduated from Shenendehowa High School.
To learn more, contact Bob Parasiliti at 716-581-3140 or para0109@fredonia.edu
