State Parks To Host Free Previews Of New Ken Burns Documentary

Annapolis, Md. (September 10, 2009) – The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Maryland Public Television (MPT) will host five special, one-hour screenings of Ken Burns’s newest documentary, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea at State Parks throughout Maryland. The screening will also include clips from Maryland Public Television’s original documentary Outdoors Maryland: Love Our Parks which will run in conjunction with The National Parks.

The Maryland Park Service and MPT will screen the film at 7 p.m. at these five parks:

• September 14, 2009, Point Lookout State Park, St. Mary’s County


• September 15, 2009, Greenbrier State Park, Washington County


• September 17, 2009, Pocomoke River State Park, Worcester County


• September 22, 2009, Fair Hill NRMA, Cecil County


• September 23, 2009, Patapsco Valley State Park (McKeldin Area), Baltimore and Howard counties

National Parks is a 12-hour, six-part series— coming to MPT Sunday, September 27 through Friday, October 2— telling the story of a uniquely American idea: special places in the nation should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone.

Filmed in 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 explores the stories of people from every conceivable background 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.

Outdoors Maryland: Love Our Parks is an original documentary that tells the history of Maryland parklands through voices of park officials, environmental educators, history buffs and outdoor enthusiasts. The 60-minute documentary will air on MPT September 21 at 9 p.m.

Admission to the event is free, but space is limited. RSVP to (410) 581-4242 or sreed@mail.mpt.org.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 461,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries, and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic, and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov