Private Project

Garden of the Glades: A Week at Conservation Ranger Camp

Fish, frogs, fire, and friendships! In a first-of-its-kind summer camp hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, twelve high school students embark on an adventure to test their limits and deepen their connection with nature. Through hands-on career exposure and shared challenges, they discover their potential and resilience.

  • Vincent Marcucci
    Director
    Tales of Sunshine: Florida EcoStories
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
    Producer
  • National Wildlife Refuge Association
    Producer
  • Vincent Marcucci
    Producer
  • Michael McCanna
    Composers
  • Zak Houston
    Composers
  • Matt Hyland
    Cinematographers
  • Vincent Marcucci
    Cinematographers
  • Clio Yang
    Sound Operator
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Environmental, Youth, Society
  • Runtime:
    30 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 15, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Vincent Marcucci

Vincent R. Marcucci was born and raised along the Caloosahatchee River in Southwest Florida. Coral reefs, springs, and swamps nourished his connection with nature. He worked as a broadcast journalist for four years as a teenager, winning a National Student Production Award from the National Academy of Arts and Sciences with his light news package, Teachin’ and Beachin’. Marcucci’s fascination in outdoor education blossomed as an adventure trip leader and farmhand at the University of Central Florida. His curiosity about human perspectives led him on solo backpacking trips to Jordan and Indonesia, practicing languages and volunteering as a media producer and teambuilding instructor. Marcucci has lived low-budget and low-impact lifestyles out of a pickup truck, tent, backpack, boat, and beside campfires under the stars. Vincent recently moved to New York City where he continues to practice art and work with children of all ages in the NYC Department of Education.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

How may our lives improve through observing, reflecting and acting on nature? This question has informed my work in filmmaking, sound design, and mentorship. As a kid, I climbed giant trees and swam around with goggles searching for marine animals. But my entrancement was shaken in 2010 when I first witnessed news footage of a pelican covered in crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill. That image ignited an unrelenting fire fed by the additional environmental crises I’ve experienced and studied. When I create, I choose to pursue stories that represent the cycles of life taking place all around us and within us. I seek to inspire questions and prompt behavioral change that will foster an equitable, accountable community where humans live in reciprocal relationships with the natural world.