BY NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON
A round-up of good news from Tangier, Virginia …
Recently, the Brigadune Inn hosted students and faculty of the James Madison University Honors Program. This group of 27 people brought in a huge pile of debris from the beach.
The Inn’s owners, Barb and Rob Baechtel tell the story best: “Many don’t realize that Tangier serves as somewhat of a ‘filter’ for the Chesapeake Bay. As debris is swept southward in the Bay, Tangier’s shores and marshes capture it, leaving areas strewn with garbage. As you can imagine, it takes a Herculean effort to gather it all up, particularly after the huge storms we’ve had this winter. We’ve had the honor of hosting 25 of these great young people, and their two professors this weekend, and they have been a joy to have around. Some of you are raising really fine, genuinely good people, and we thank you.”
Film festivals to show documentary
Tangier is featured in the documentary “Been Here Stay Here.” Two film festivals will host film screenings in late March.
The 33rd annual DC Environmental Film Festival Festival in Washington, DC, will be held March 20-29 in venues throughout the DC Metro Area. “Been Here Stay Here” will be shown from 7-9 p.m. March 25 at the Burke Theatre at the US Navy Memorial. Several films will be shown March 25 that are similar to the documentary and include topics such as protecting waterways, conservation, and environmental advocacy.
After the film, a panel discussion featuring director David Usui and Tangier residents is schedule to be held, according to the festival’s website.
To buy tickets to the showing at the DC festival, visit https://dceff2025.eventive.org/schedule/67b9fd2343ab460311bbe562
The 13th annual Annapolis (Maryland) Film Festival — set for March 27-30 — will show “Been Here Stay Here” on two days. Each screening will be followed by discussions that include Tangier residents.
The first showing will be at 12:30 p.m. Friday, March 28, at Maryland Hall MAIN, 801 Chase St., Annapolis. After the screening, a panel discussion will be held featuring Director David Usui; Tangier Mayor Ooker Eskridge; Pastor Kyle Meyaard-Schaap, vice president of the Evangelical Environmental Network; and Hillary Harp, president and CEO of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
The second showing will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 29 at Asbury United Methodist Church, 87 West St., Annapolis. After the screening, a question-and-answer session will include Usui, Eskridge, and Meyaard-Schaap.
For ticket information, visit https://aff2025.eventive.org/films/67c3b4b644f9f652e9ff0c35
About the film
For four years, Usui embedded himself in Tangier, capturing the rhythms of a the residents’ way of life — oystermen at work, kids learning the trade, and a community holding tight to faith as the water rises.
To read a story about the film that appeared in Chesapeake Bay Magazine, click here.
To view the “Been Here Stay Here” trailer, check out the video below:
Tangier Island, Virginia 