Meet the Filmmakers

Brendan Walsh (Director of Photography) is the co-owner of the production company Great Lakes Media. In addition to DP’ing and editing for GLM, Brendan has filmed for television shows on PBS, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, CNBC, A&E, the History Channel, FOX and TLC. Brendan’s work has taken him across the globe, but his heart has always remained in the Great Lakes region. His driving factor in creating this film was his love for the Lakes. After learning more about the unique and tragic history of the Great Lakes, Brendan and Jessica knew the story needed to be brought to life through video.

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Jessica Walsh (Producer) is the co-owner of Great Lakes Media production company. Jessica is an award-winning print journalist and editor, and is responsible for coordinating and delivering a wide range of productions for Great Lakes Media. Her photographic talents also came into play on Making Waves when she served as an additional camera operator. Her concern for native ecosystems, plants and animals were an impetus in making the documentary a reality.

bk_sidebar-1 Bill Kurtis (Narrator), acclaimed journalist and documentarian, is the owner of Kurtis Productions in Chicago. For more than 40 years, Bill has produced, hosted and narrated countless television series and documentaries around the world. Bill currently hosts the television series Through the Decades, and is the announcer for the National Public Radio news quiz show, Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me! A former anchor for Chicago’s CBS News, he narrated the feature film comedies Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. Bill is the recipient of numerous humanitarian, journalism and broadcasting awards including Emmys, CableACE awards, and the Thurgood Marshall Award. He is a published author and a member of the board of directors of several distinguished organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, the National Park Foundation, Chicago Green City Market, Chicago Botanic Garden, and the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

In the heart of North America lies one of the planet's greatest natural resources — the Great Lakes. The world’s largest freshwater ecosystem, the Great Lakes Watershed is home to roughly 35 million people and 3,500 species of plants and animals, including one-fifth of all of the fish species in North America. The Lakes’ more than 10,000 miles of shoreline encircle 90 percent of the United States’ freshwater and 18 percent of the world’s freshwater.So many and so much depends on the health of the Great Lakes, yet few people seem to know about the battle raging below the surface. For over a century, non-native species of plants, fish, invertebrates and bacteria have invaded the Great Lakes at an average of one every eight months. These invasive species are out-competing the Lakes’ native species so effectively that they’re literally transforming the ecosystem from top to bottom, threatening its ecological diversity and local economies. With more than 180 invasive species already in the Great Lakes, and new threats like the Asian carp knocking at the door, there has never been a better time for public education on invasive species.

GREAT LAKES MEDIA presents
A LOOK BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEM "MAKING WAVES: BATTLE FOR THE GREAT LAKES" director of photography BRENDAN WALSHNARRATED BY BILL KURTIS ORIGINAL music by GABRIEL JASKOWIAK edited by BRENDAN WALSH produced AND WRITTEN by JESSICA WALSH