Nocturne: Union Bay Natural Area

The Union Bay Natural Area sits on the edge of the University of Washington campus. Once part of the natural shoreline of Lake Washington, it was filled with landfill during the mid-20th century before being gradually restored into the mosaic of wetlands, marshes, and meadows that exists today. What was shaped almost entirely by human activity has become one of Seattle's most important urban wildlife refuges.

Over the course of two years, I returned to document the wildlife that emerges after sunset. Filmed alongside my friend Anirudh Arun, Nocturne: Union Bay Natural Area is my first short wildlife documentary. Barred owls patrol the forest edge, beavers reshape waterways under the cover of darkness, raccoons forage along the shoreline, and countless aquatic birds depend on the marsh throughout the year. Their lives unfold just beyond busy roads and university buildings.

The film explores how wildlife persists in the shadow of a city, offering a glimpse into a hidden world that exists only a few steps from everyday human life.