Mound House chosen for in-the-works documentary stop
t’s not every day a National Geographic photographer stops by the Mound House for his documentary.
Fort Myers Beach welcomed Dirk Rohrbach to stop and see the beach’s hidden gem during his week-long paddle along the Great Calusa Blueway.
Rohrbach, a German National Geographic photojournalist, is working on a five-year documentary titled “50 States: A Journey into America.” He’s stopping in every state to see its natural areas and highlight its precious places.
He began the project in summer 2016; most of his excursions are by paddling or by driving his beloved vintage Ford, which he’s named Loretta.
Rohrbach started his journey in Florida Thursday at the Koreshan State Historical Site; he’ll spend the next week venturing up the Caloosahatchee River, stopping in Sanibel and other special places along the way. He’ll travel 100 of the 190 miles that the Blueway stretches.
“What’s exciting is to share all this history and expose that to a larger audience,” said Alison Geisen, Mound House Director. “With all the hard work from volunteers and the community over the last 25 years, I’m very pleased the Mound House is finally being shared.”
Geisen led Rohrbach and his accompanying photographer Claudia Axmann on a tour of the Mound House, explaining its unique history and role on the island.
“When I started to travel to the U.S., one of my early interests was Native American cultures,” Rohrbach said. “Being on the Mound House today, seeing the historic house, I would have built here too.”
The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel, Lee County’s tourism bureau, got wind of Rohrbach’s documentary from its German contractors. While completing the documentary, the photojournalist will be doing miniprojects, including a radio series.
“Lee County is getting a whole segment,” said Megan Contreras, a spokeswoman for the tourism bureau.
Rohrbach will also be hosting a talk about his last project, “Paddling the Yukon,” Tuesday, Feb. 6 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Wa-Ke Hatchee Rec Center, 16760 Bass Road, Fort Myers.
Make sure to read the full story in the Jan. 31 issue of the Observer!