Wildlife Video Animation

Where the Water Meets the Woods

Where the Water Meets the Woods is a wildlife video animation. Housed in what was once a shark tank inside the oldest aquarium in the United States – the historic Belle Isle Aquarium, this exhibit is a modern-day take on a scavenger hunt.

Belle Isle, known affectionately as “the jewel of Detroit,” is home to a rare forest ecosystem called the wet-mesic flatwoods. Efforts are underway to preserve this unique forest system and to bring community awareness to how special it is.

Flutter & Wow’s wildlife video animation is a playful take on how the ecosystem of the wet-mesic interact and change through the seasons. During the fall, spot the the fox chasing the squirrel. Then, in winter, witness a duck finding a mate. Discover what season beavers fell trees. Learn when certain berries are ripe on the Isle, and more. There’s a lot to learn and discover about Belle Isle’s wet-mesic flatwoods in this dynamic, colorful animation.

Use the labels around the video to see all there is to find in the animation. Spot all the flora and fauna that make this location unique!

This installation is a mashup of Eric Carle-esque collage work and animation that combines the whimsical with reality. Working with a committee of experts on Belle Isle, we were able to pinpoint the most common and exotic species in the area. The result was a diverse and robust animated ecosystem that mirrors the actual ecology in Belle Isle’s wet-mesic.