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The Crow's Nest peninsula lies between Potomac and Accokeek creeks in eastern Stafford County. The largest undeveloped tract left in the fast-growing county, it is home to rare plants and animals.

This marsh on the Crow's Nest peninsula in eastern Stafford County includes equisetum plants. Archer DiPeppe's new documentary on the natural area features well-known preservation advocates.

Locally produced documentary pushing for Crow's Nest preservation as prospect of development appears more likely

Date published: 8/5/2005

By RUSTY DENNEN

The video opens with a shot of a great blue heron standing contentedly on the shore of Crow's Nest, Stafford County's environmental jewel.

Archer DiPeppe, writer and director of the new 12-minute documentary on the development-threatened peninsula, hopes that image and many others will help turn the tide in favor of preservation. For the longtime local preservationist--some would say gadfly--producing a documentary that could be used to help nudge the process along was a logical next step.

"I've always believed that we have such abundant natural and historic beauty that's taken for granted. As citizens, we have to take part" in saving important sites such as Crow's Nest, DiPeppe said.

With the relentless pace of development here, he added, "If we do nothing, it goes away."

DiPeppe said he wanted to do something powerful to get the word out and give people an up-close glimpse at the privately owned land without having to paddle out or walk under the towering canopy of hardwoods.

The former drama teacher, who has no experience in video production, contacted former student Ken Jordan, now an accomplished videographer, to help. Jordan and his wife, Julie, a writer and producer, went way beyond the call, DiPeppe said, donating their services.

"They gave an incredible amount of time and hard work--untold hours--to make it look the way it does," DiPeppe said.

About 25 hours of video were shot at Crow's Nest and other locations to come up with the 12 minutes in the final cut.

DiPeppe, who lives in Stafford, said he approached several well-known local advocates to be interviewed. "Without exception, every single person said, 'What can I do to help?'"

He said the project, which would normally cost about $12,000, cost only about $500 due to donations of time and resources.

Appearing in the video are: Kandy Hilliard, Aquia District supervisor; Barbara Kirby, who represents the Rock Hill District on the Stafford Planning Commission; Hal Wiggins, a biologist in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Fredericksburg field office; Robert Two Eagles Green, chief of the Patawomack tribe; D.P. Newton of the Stafford Civil War Museum and Research Center; Patricia Kurpiel, a Crow's Nest activist; and Cecelia Kirkman, co-founder of savecrowsnest.org.

Music is provided by George Washington District Supervisor Pete Fields. John Moss narrates.

Date published: 8/5/2005