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Echoes of Cry of the Marsh Echoes of Cry of the Marsh is a one-hour documentary that takes a deeper look at wetland restoration in Minnesota, and chronicles one citizen’s dedication to that issue. The film is a collaborative effort among several public and private groups, including the University of Minnesota, Morris, the Upper Minnesota Watershed District, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Clean Up the River Environment (CURE).
In the 1960s Hartkopf produced a short film called Cry of the Marsh. With only a single 16mm camera, Hartkopf created a stunning portrait of drained wetlands, devastated wildlife, flood-prone conditions, and an environment cutoff from humans. The film received considerable acclaim, but Hartkopf is still waiting to see those wetlands return. Wetland restoration affects anyone living in an area with industrial-scale agriculture, particularly in the upper Midwest and along the Mississippi River. Since the early 1900s when drainage of wetlands began, we have seen more frequent and severe flooding, degradation of water quality, and the slow decline of many animal species in rural ecosystems.
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Echoes of Cry of the Marsh explores the issue of wetland
restoration through the eyes of 
Federal and state governments have created
programs to restore wetlands, but older drainage laws prevent them
from having full impact. Perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate those laws. Hartkopf’s
inspirational work reminds us that we can find a healthy balance
for our land use, that we can restore and strengthen our ecosystem,
and that working for environmental change is possible.