Denmark stalwart and environmentalist Mark Parre features in locally produced film

The legacy of lifelong environmentalist and revegetation officer for the Shire of Denmark, Mark Parre, has been captured in a short film produced by a local filmmaker. Having worked for the Shire for almost 30 years, Mr Parre has revegetated 32 sites around Denmark by using seeds and plant cuttings from a variety of native plant species. His efforts, with the help of the local community, has resulted in more than 700,000 plants being reintroduced to the environment. The Shire commissioned local filmmaker Craig Carter, owner of Earthrise Productions, to produce an instructional film from Mr Parre’s plant propagation workshop which regularly runs at the Kwoorabup Community Gardens. But Mr Parre’s charming personality shone too bright for the cameras and the film developed into a longer profile piece capturing the Denmark stalwart’s life work and legacy. The short film titled Bushland Healer follows Mr Parre along at works and also includes a more intimate sit-down interview at his home. “My day begins when I get to the Shire depot and unlock the nursery sheds and for me it has always felt like coming to a second home,” Mr Parre said in the film. “There has never been this feeling of ‘oh I’m at work’ because I love what I do. “I consider myself a healer in the sense that what I do, which is using plants by positioning them in the environment to help country go back to being healthy again.” The majority of the films that Carter produces are centred around the environment. He previously worked within the natural resource management sector but always had a desire to create films. Ten years ago Carter decided to pick up the camera and pursue producing films full-time, creating Earthrise Productions based in the Great Southern. Carter said he enjoyed being able to capture Mr Parre’s personality in a different light. “It was nice to see him at home and enjoying where he lives surrounded by the forest,” he said. “At the end of our interview I asked him if there was anything else he’d like to say and he said going forward we need to co-exist with our environment. “That’s just Mark, he’s very in touch with the environment, with Noongar culture and he knows his plants back to front. “He looks at a plant and it basically propagates itself.” Carter said Mr Parre’s passion for the environment is what made the film. “I’ve known Mark for 15 years, he’s very passionate and can speak very confidently and naturally from the heart to the camera,” he said. “I asked him questions about what he does but also about he feels about the environment and his life and I used that as the backbone to the story. “The film just works because Mark is so passionate and genuine as well as the use of music, which was done by Peter Usher.” The film is available to watch on the Shire of Denmark’s website.