For 11 years, Blondie the bobcat has raised 24 kittens in a mosaic of vineyards, hillsides, and neighborhoods. This film tells the story of her incredible longevity, and the people who came together to follow her journey for over a decade.
The film
Dear Blondie follows a single bobcat through a decade of survival on the edge of suburban California. I first found her when I was 14. She is 11 years old now - remarkably old for a wild bobcat - and raising her 9th litter of kittens amongst an increasingly fragmented landscape.
Why this particular place
Blondie's territory sits at the northern tip of the Diablo Range, which runs from the East Bay down toward the Salinas Valley. Blondie's home is the last connected stretch of habitat before Interstate 580 creates an impassable barrier. For young bobcats dispersing to find new territory, these roadways pose a major risk to their survival.
A decade of watching
Ten years of near-daily fieldwork has allowed us to film behaviors rarely seen by people: kittens nursing, hunting squirrels through the tree canopy, and interacting with hummingbirds.
The people who watch her
A community formed around Blondie over the years - engineers, retirees, students, neighbors - who logged sightings, shared her movements, and learned her patterns over years of respectful and ethical observation. Their collective record is something no single observer could have assembled alone.
After the release
The film will screen in Bay Area schools and community spaces, in partnership with local conservation organizations and science institutions, aimed especially at younger audiences.
Support and recognition
Dear Blondie is supported by the National Geographic Society through its Young Explorer program, by Tri-Valley Conservancy of Livermore, and by Save Mount Diablo, the land trust for the region. The Wildlife Crossing Fund, a wildlife connectivity organization, is the film's fiscal sponsor.
Team
Cameryn Baker
Cam is an SF-based writer and creative currently employed at Presidio National Park. Her portfolio revolves around Bay Area wildlife, public transportation, and outdoor recreation.
Dr. Christine Wilkinson
Christine is a conservation scientist and carnivore ecologist at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California Academy of Sciences, focused on how carnivores move through human-dominated landscapes in California and Kenya.
Connor Sweeney
Connor is a cinematographer, editor, and visual effects artist with over 13 years of experience across a wide range of creative industries and disciplines. Now based in Washington state, he focuses on documentary-style filmmaking centered on agriculture, farm-to-table systems, and sustainability efforts.
Hannah Eugster
Hannah is a filmmaker, photographer and science communicator specializing in environmental conservation. As an independent creator, focused on short-form storytelling they make science fun and approachable.
Vishal Subramanyan
Vishal is an award-winning wildlife photographer, videographer, and public speaker. His work focuses on documenting the amazing wildlife of the Bay Area, and has been featured by National Geographic, CNN, NPR, Smithsonian, and the LA Times.
Monthly updates as the film comes together
- Behind-the-scenes photos and field notes
- Occasional video clips from the cutting room
- First word on the release date and screenings
You're on the list
Thanks for signing up. We'll send monthly updates as the film comes together.
Signup is disabled in this preview
This preview runs in a sandbox that blocks posting to other sites, so the form can't reach Kit from here. On the live site it submits normally.
Want to support the film directly? Donate Here.
Film details adapted from the Wildlife Crossing Fund's support page.