ETV to Broadcast New “Carolina Stories” Documentary “Roots in the River”

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ETV to Broadcast New “Carolina Stories” Documentary “Roots in the River: The Story of Congaree National Park”

Program Airs in Coordination with Ken Burns’ “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea”

For Immediate Release
September 11, 2009

Columbia, SC…Beginning Sunday, Sept. 27 through Thursday, Oct. 1, ETV will bring a week of new locally and nationally produced television programs devoted to the majesty of the national parks. Also featured in the lineup are numerous community and Web-based outreach initiatives. Additional details are listed below.

Local and Nationally Produced Programs:

Thursday, Oct. 1 at 10 p.m. , is the primetime debut of the new “Carolina Stories” documentary “Roots in the River: The Story of Congaree National Park.”

Airing in association with the new six-part Ken Burns documentary series, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” “Roots in the River” chronicles the history of the Palmetto State’s national landmark. From the initial attempts to harvest the forest’s massive virgin cypresses in the 1890s through the grass-roots struggles of the 1970s to preserve it; to its classification as a National Park in 2003, the hour-long program is a sweeping look at the breathtaking ecosystem of champion trees, primeval landscapes and diverse plant and animal life in Lower Richland County. The show also features scenes from a recent reunion of the young team of activists from the 1970s that banded together to save the Congaree Swamp.

Through interviews with park preservationists, residents of Lower Richland County, park staff, local environmentalists, and archival as well as present-day footage, the program also examines the powerful story of race and social equity in the historic predominantly African-American community.

This powerful documentary is available for purchase by visiting www.etvstore.org or by calling 1-800-553-7752.

Sunday, Sept. 27 through Thursday, Oct. 1 marks the launch of Ken Burns’ new 12-hour, six-part documentary series, "The National Parks: America’s Best Idea". The week of programs traces the birth of the national park idea in the mid-1800s and follows its evolution for nearly 150 years.

Narrated by award-winning actor Peter Coyote, "National Parks" spotlights some of nature’s most spectacular locales from Acadia to Yosemite; Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon; the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska.

The documentary is a story of people from every conceivable background: rich and poor; famous and unknown; soldiers and scientists; natives and newcomers; idealists, artists and entrepreneurs; people who were willing to devote themselves to saving some precious portion of the land they loved, and in doing so, reminded their fellow citizens of the full meaning of democracy.

Then, on Monday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m., "Your Day on the Road" journeys through time with visits to all the National Parks Service sites in South Carolina. Hosted by Clemson University’s Bob Schuster, the program ventures into locations across the state for stories of Colonial days and Revolutionary War battles as well as tales of antebellum life and Civil War struggles. There’s also a rich exploration of the natural history of the region.

Sites featured in this broadcast include:

• Congaree National Park
• Ninety Six National Historic Site
• Kings Mountain National Military Park
• Cowpens National Battlefield
• Fort Sumter National Monument
• Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island
• Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor
• Charles Pinckney National Historic Site

Community and Web-based Outreach:

Complementing the statewide broadcast of “Roots in the River” and the nationwide airing of “The National Parks,” ETV, in partnership with The National Park Service and the South East Rural Community Outreach (SERCO), will host eight community screening events. Each event will feature clips from "Roots in the River" and "Your Day on the Road," as well as a sneak preview of the Ken Burns series “The National Parks.”

All events are FREE and open to the public. The first screening, at The Congaree National Park in Hopkins will also feature the Owl Prowl, a guided twilight stroll along the boardwalk around the historic park.

Below is the schedule of events:

Sunday, Sept. 20 - The Congaree National Park
5-7 p.m.
100 National Park Road
Hopkins, SC 29061

Tuesday, Sept. 22 – Kings Mountain National Military Park
6-8 p.m.
2625 Park Rd.
Blacksburg, SC 29702

Wednesday, Sept. 23 - Hopkins Middle School
6-8 p.m.
1601 Clarkson Road
Hopkins, SC 29061

Saturday, Sept. 26 - Ninety Six National Historic Site
2-4 p.m.
1103 Highway 248
Ninety Six, SC 29666

Saturday, Sept. 26 - Temple of Faith Bibleway Church
3-5 p.m.
2850 Congaree Road
Gadsden, SC 29052

Saturday, Sept. 26 - Fort Moultrie National Monument
5-7 p.m.
1214 Middle Street
Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482

Sunday, Sept. 27 - St. Mark Baptist Church
1:30-3:30 p.m.
1456 St. Marks Road
Gadsden, SC 29052-9617

Sunday, Sept. 27 - Cowpens National Battlefield (2 screenings)
2-3 p.m. and 3-4 p.m.
4001 Chesnee Hwy
Gaffney, SC 29341

Rounding out the multi-platform launch of "Roots in the River" and "The National Parks" is the ETV Swamp Stories Web site. This abundantly diverse site engages community members of all ages to tell their stories of the Congaree Swamp. Told in their voices, and through videos, photos, and the written word, the stories provide a valuable resource for understanding the cultural and natural history of the area. The site launches Friday, Sept. 18.

South Carolina ETV is the state's public educational broadcasting network with 11 television and eight radio transmitters, and a multi-media educational system in more than 2,500 schools, colleges, businesses and government agencies. Using television, radio and the web, SCETV's mission is to enrich lives by educating children, informing and connecting citizens, celebrating our culture and environment and instilling the joy of learning.

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For more information, contact Rob Schaller at (803) 737-6556 or rschaller@scetv.org.

Photos may be downloaded for the sole purpose of publicizing this program. To download an image, click on the picture below. A new Web page will open containing the hi-res version. Right click on the hi-res image, and select "Save As" or "Save Picture As."

A giant cypress tree in the Congaree National Park.

The boardwalk in the Congaree National Park

THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA’S BEST IDEA is a six-part, 12-hour film by Ken Burns on the history of America’s national parks and the people who were willing to devote themselves to saving some precious portion of the land they loved. Pictured: Arches National Park, Utah. Credit: Photo by Craig Mellish

Grand Canyon Rainbow.jpg Filmed over the course of more than six years at some of nature’s most spectacular locales, THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA’S BEST IDEA is a six-part, 12-hour film by Ken Burns on the history of America’s national parks and the people who were willing to devote themselves to saving some precious portion of the land they loved. Pictured: Rainbow from South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park. Credit: Photo by Craig Mellish