The National Parks: America's Best Idea

Date: September 18, 2009
Contact: Dawn Davis, [phone] x 23

On Saturday, September 26, 2009, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. the National Park Service in partnership with South Carolina ETV (SCETV) and the South East Rural Community Outreach (SERCO) will air clips from the documentaries Roots in the River and Your Day on the Road as well as a sneak preview of the Ken Burns series The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. The event will take place at the Fort Moultrie Visitor Center, located at 1214 Middle Street on Sullivan's Island, SC. Following the viewing, the public will have the opportunity to meet some of the Fort Sumter staff and learn how each contributes to the mission of the National Park Service. Light refreshments will be served and the event is free.

Sunday, September 27 through Thursday, October 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.

On Monday, October 5 at 7:00 p.m. SCETV will air Your Day on the Road, journeys through time with visits to all the National Park 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.

For more information contact Fort Sumter Chief Ranger Dawn Davis at [phone] x 23.