Since September 2025, 20 YCP students from the film and horticulture programs have been collaborating on a community-based interdisciplinary project: The Uninvited Guests: Telling the Stories of Invasive Plant Species in Our Neighborhoods.
Developed and led by Professors AnaLu MacVean (Environmental Horticulture) and Emily Rund (Film and Media Arts) and supported by a GCCI grant, Uninvited Guests is fostering cross-disciplinary learning while simultaneously raising awareness among Pennsylvania citizens on the importance of preserving native flora and fauna in local ecosystems.
Students were divided into four groups, each tasked with researching a specific invasive species. These teams quickly moved beyond the classroom, scouting local plants, capturing film footage, and conducting interviews in the community. The collaboration immediately exposed students to new tools and ways of thinking. To learn more about the students’ experience, Emeilia Adlers, GCCI writer, interviewed two of the participants.
When asked what stood out to him in the project, Cooper Naugle ('28, Film) shared, “My favorite part of working on the documentary was filming the B-roll of all the different plant species. It was also working with my fantastic group members, who provided me with all the info and support needed to make this project the best it could be.”
For the Horticulture students, the collaboration offered new perspectives on communicating complex science. Barry Sealover ('28, Horticulture) noted, "My favorite part was the research in management of invasive species and learning about the various and sometimes surprising methods tried in the past. The other part was getting to see how other disciplines operate and the tools they use."
In addition to the technical skills of documentary filmmaking and plant research, the project has been building essential leadership and collaboration skills. Cooper explains, "It was really interesting to work with students of a different major. I found it refreshing because I'm so used to all the people I've had in my major courses. I learned more about the horticulture students’ processes when approaching research and their ways in explaining complex information to someone who isn't well-versed in the topic."
Horticulture student Barry echoed this sentiment, highlighting the growth in trust required by the project’s collaborative structure. "It made me a more trusting person. As we separated into roles, I had to entirely trust other group members." This interdependence is precisely what builds effective cross-disciplinary teams in the professional world.
Teams are currently meeting with expert reviewers, including biologists, plant scientists, and professional filmmakers, to get content and technical feedback as they edit and refine their short films. Selected students will continue working with faculty next semester to finalize the films and prepare for distribution. The completed documentary is set to premiere at the MarketView Arts Center in downtown York in Spring 2026.
