A river otter hanging out in Kelsey Slough at Clear Lake State Park. Photo courtesy of Barbara Bridges.

KELSEYVILLE – “The Northern Marsh – At Home in the Shadow,” a 91-minute film, will be shown at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, May 16, in the Clear Lake State Park visitor center auditorium.

Visitors to the park often look at Kelsey Slough and think of it as a dead zone. Quite to the contrary, this area is extremely rich in plant and animal life. It is a small example of a Northern Marsh.

Celebrating the incredible diversity and abundance of life within a marsh, this film shows much more than what can be seen in a quick walk on the boardwalk along Kelsey Slough.

When the area is approached quietly, one can observe turtles sunning themselves, muskrats swimming, otters playing, birds snatching insects from the air and many birds, such as green heron, great blue heron, pied-bill grebes, Clark’s and western grebes feeding in the shallows. There are those rare days when the water is so clear that fish can be seen swimming in the shallows.

This film is an extraordinary experience for the entire family. It will add to your understanding of this special area and the wetlands diorama in the natural history museum.

There is no entrance fee to the park for attending film programs, participating in walks, or visiting the museum.

The Visitor Center, including the gift shop, will open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday throughout the summer. Guided walks will take place on the second and fourth Sunday at 8:30 a.m. Visit www.clearlakestatepark.org for great photos, activity schedule and park information.

Clear Lake State Park is located at 5300 Soda Bay Road, Kelseyville.