A Love Letter to Nature: A Documentary About Mary Treat

Hi, my name is Helga Merits, and I am creating a historical documentary film about Mary Treat, a forgotten Victorian-era American naturalist.

Once called “the world’s most famous and industrious woman naturalist,” she corresponded with Charles Darwin and refined his research on carnivorous plants. Darwin later wrote that she had been more successful than any other observer. Despite influencing one of history’s greatest scientists, her name has nearly disappeared from public memory.

Mary Treat (1830–1923) defied the limits placed on women in the Victorian era. She explored the wild landscapes of the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, documenting nature with extraordinary curiosity and precision, deepening scientific understanding of insects, plant life, and the complex relationships between them, and earning recognition from leading researchers of her time.

So how is it possible that she has been largely forgotten by history?

Today, as we rethink our relationship with nature and rediscover overlooked voices, especially women in science, her story feels more urgent than ever. This Mary Treat documentary aims to restore her rightful place in history and inspire new ways of seeing the natural world.

Your support helps us bring Mary Treat’s voice back into the spotlight by:

completing archival research and filming

travelling to key historical locations

filming interviews with historians and scientists

Every contribution, whether $10 or $200, makes a real difference in achieving this goal.

Helga Merits is a documentary filmmaker whose previous films explore history, identity, and overlooked narratives. This will be her seventh documentary film.

The project is supported by an international team of researchers and collaborators working across the US and Europe.