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As Brooke Bessesen writes in her new book, Vaquita: Science, Politics, and Crime in the Sea of Cortez, “Conservation is messy business.”

Economic, cultural, political, and legislative forces all come into play when considering protection strategies for an at-risk species. And, frustratingly, the best approach for victory isn’t always clear. Local communities have to balance potential job losses and preservation of their cultural history with conservation goals. When governments help or hinder the cause, lawsuits become tools for action. Because of these complex dynamics, key players in the conservation effort may, at times, find themselves at odds—even if their end goal is the same.

This webinar, moderated by Dr. Tom Jefferson, explores the complicated issue of endangered species recovery through the lens of the now extremely rare porpoise, the vaquita, asking: When it comes to saving a species, is it possible to unify all concerned parties to fight for a common, singular objective?

Bessesen introduces the world’s smallest cetacean and explains the history of its plight. By examining the economic, cultural, and legislative aspects of vaquita conservation, audience members are encouraged to consider the universal goals and challenges related to disappearing species worldwide.

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Saving The Great Swamp: Battle to Defeat the Jetport is a new one-hour documentary about the events, people and politics behind the struggle to preserve a rural area of New Jersey between 1959 and 1968. The fight began when the powerful Port of New York Authority announced plans to construct a huge 10,000 acre "jetport" 26 miles west of New York City in a little-known place called the Great Swamp. In the name of progress, entire towns would be obliterated, the aquifer and wildlife destroyed, and a way-of-life threatened for thousands of people.

The events that followed became one of the most defining environmental confrontations of its time - a grassroots movement that started in a local high school and grew to historic proportions. It was a battle that took almost a decade, a President and an Act of Congress to stop, and ultimately led to the creation of a national treasure - the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

Two years in the making, Saving The Great Swamp: Battle to Defeat the Jetport was produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Scott Morris, co-produced by Larry Fast and narrated by Blythe Danner. The film features in-depth interviews with residents, historians and officials, and a rich visual tapestry of historic film footage, old photographs and high-end cinematography of the Great Swamp today. The inspiring story continues to resonate as a model for community action in the face of powerful forces.