The Sagebrush Sea

Gr 6 Up—The Sagebrush Sea stretches across 11 states in the American West. Called the "big empty," it is truly anything but. The vast area supports hundreds of bird and animal species, among them the endangered greater sage grouse. Found nowhere else, the grouse relies on the sage for every aspect of its life. Spectacular imagery and informative narration bring viewers right into this shrinking ecosystem and close to the creatures that depend upon it. There are wonderful scenes of the birds, wolves, and other animals that make their homes here. Many of the birds migrate only to that location to breed and raise young. The film describes how this ecosystem and its inhabitants have evolved together over time, as well as the survival strategies the animals use to get through each season and what they can or can't adapt to in relation to human intrusion. Habitat fragmentation from housing developments, energy extraction industries, and overgrazing by domestic cattle have reduced the expanse of the sagebrush sea to half of what it was, and some animals are able to adapt better than others. The grouse is particularly sensitive to these habitat pressures, and the population is declining as a result.