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When we started working on Earth from Space, our first job was to collect some of the most spectacular satellite images we could find.

Popping up on our search feeds time and time again were dramatic shots of hurricanes barrelling through the Gulf of Mexico.

There was no way our series would be complete without featuring these supreme forces of nature! And as natural history filmmakers we wanted to show how hurricanes affect not just people, but animals too.

Beach Mice

Until this point I had no idea there was such a thing as a beach mouse, but it turns out that in Alabama and Florida, sand dunes provide several subspecies of the Oldfield mouse with the perfect habitat for burrowing, and plants like sea oats offer a plentiful supply of food. Over time these beach mice have even evolved to be paler in colour, to camouflage their bodies against the sand.

There’s just one problem with living in this postcode. Beaches on the Gulf are very flat, so when hurricanes and storm surges hit the mice are in the danger zone. Though beach mice have always coexisted with hurricanes, the rapid pace of development for beachside hotels and condos has now fragmented their habitat, meaning that just one hurricane can wipe out an entire population in one fell swoop. The result: all but one subspecies of beach mouse are now endangered and require intensive conservation and monitoring. We just had to give these little guys some air time!

We reached out to the leading beach mouse expert at the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Dr Jeff Gore, who suggested that the best place to film the mice would be Santa Rosa Island, just off the coast of Florida’s panhandle. It sounded idyllic.

But this was not to be the island getaway we had bargained for. Santa Rosa is not for holidaymakers or even Florida residents; it’s a key training and testing site for the US Air Force! In order to stand any chance of filming the mice there, we had to apply months in advance, submit reams of documentation and arrange to have a military escort with us at all times. Gulp.

So it was with some trepidation that, in August 2017, we set out for the island, driving down to Florida from a previous shoot in Missouri. It was to be an experience I will never forget….

Filming with the US Air Force

Day one in Florida, and instead of going straight to our filming location as we usually would, we had to drive to the nearest Air Force Base in order to be searched, have our biometrics taken, and pass high level security clearances. We were then escorted to a security checkpoint on the eastern side of Santa Rosa Island, where we were met with a huge metal fence over two metres tall blocking any unauthorized vehicles. Thankfully our passes were soon waved through by the guards, and we were in!

I don’t think any of us were prepared for the stunning landscape that unfolded beyond that fence. Pristine dunes rolled towards the ocean, so pure white that it seemed as if the whole island was covered in snow. Every tree we passed, gnarled and twisted, was a resting spot for a magnificent Osprey; they were like sentries lining our path. And all was bathed in that golden glow that comes just before sunset. This was clearly not your average military base.

Every day we would have the same routine: clear the check point early in the morning and meet up with our military escort for the day. In the midst of filming delicate dune vines and scuttling ghost crabs we would glance up to see colossal Chinooks landing near the beach.

One night we had a call telling us that a nest full of Loggerhead sea turtles was about to hatch. We pulled up by one of the derelict buildings on the base to find that an overnight training mission was taking place. Head torches bobbed out of the gloom as Airmen ran past our van in an attempt to ‘capture’ the building. As soon as they had gone by, we rushed to the nest in time to film hundreds of hatchlings scuttling into the waves. Lugging our kit back to the van, we found the empty rounds the Airmen had been firing, scattered over the concrete.

So as the days went by, we came to learn that this special place was both a military hub and a wildlife haven in equal measure.

Active conservation

It was clear that military ownership had protected these dunes from development, and allowed nature to flourish undisturbed. But the military weren’t just playing a passive role in conserving this landscape. During the shoot we met a whole team of biologists, whose role was to actively manage the dunes and monitor the wildlife within them. The Eglin AFB Natural Resources Team, led by Bruce Hagedorn, were a true delight to work with during our time in Florida.

From taping off sections of beach during Piping Plover nesting season, to enforcing lights out policies to prevent sea turtles from becoming disorientated; blocking vehicles from driving over established dunes, to surveying the beach mice; they worked around the clock to champion Santa Rosa’s wildlife.

Their work has certainly paid off. This island is a true Gulf Coast gem, with an abundance of endangered native species including Piping Plovers, Snowy Plovers, Red Knots, Bald Eagles, Least Terns, Green Sea Turtles, Loggerhead Sea Turtles, Cladonia Lichen, Gulf Sturgeon, and of course Santa Rosa Beach Mice.

Mission accomplished!