Plant Heist - Succulent Smuggling Documentary (SXSW Official selection)

Plant Heist - Succulent Smuggling Documentary (SXSW Official selection)

Thousands of Succulents, millions of dollars. a real world theft of highly prized plants that are worth BIG money.

In northern California, a Game Warden uncovers an illicit network of succulent poachers after mysterious packages containing native plants are reported, and with the help of citizens, biologists, and authorities, he races against time to halt the destruction before permanent damage is inflicted on the land. Winner of Emerald award Coronado Film Festival 2021 ✳️A note from the Filmmakers Hi there, it all began with reading a news article in The New Yorker describing the case and Officer Freeling's big break. We decided to call him up and ask to talk on camera about it, not really knowing where it would lead but understanding it was incredibly bizarre and interesting. We self-funded the whole project and are proud of what we were able to pull off with very little money. We're very grateful to have been accepted into prominent festivals like SXSW and Doc NYC. In documentary filmmaking, finding an audience that cares about the issues in your film is crucial, so festivals are huge. Please share the video; the more people who know that plant poaching is a real issue, the better! UPDATE⚠️: Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 223 by Assembly member Chris Ward (D - San Diego) into law, making it unlawful to sell, or possess with the intent to sell, any Dudleya illegally taken from its natural habitat on state lands. AB 223 makes it unlawful to sell or possess with the intent to sell any Dudleya illegally taken from its natural habitat and establishes minimum penalties of $5,000 per plant for the first offense, and $40,000 per plant for any subsequent offenses.

– – – It appears that there are so many Dudleya in cultivation now that the market for expensive poached and exported plants has collapsed 🙂 However, there is still plenty of poaching going on for other species of cacti and succulents. 🌵 Only take photos! and don't buy poached plants 🦊 Well, I should probably say that there are still probably some that will still want the "big wild plant" and pay big bucks for it. Definitely for other species... 😒