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In this issue:

About the Series
News Updates
Outreach
Series Partners
About our Funders

The Natural Heritage of Indiana documentary series has been broadcast on public television stations throughout Indiana. A schedule of upcoming broadcasts is listed below.

The four-part documentary series is inspired by the book (bearing the same title), edited by Marion Jackson. In addition to broadcasts of the series, DVD's will be distributed to schools across the state. A companion website continues to grow and be populated with new content. Video streaming and illustrated scripts are among the new content that is forthcoming.

In addition, a conference on the state's natural heritage, and future priorities for stewardship of the land, is scheduled for March, 2009.

Natural Heritage News Update

Public Conference on the Natural Heritage of Indiana

March 20-21, 2009 at the Indiana State Museum

“Indiana’s Natural Heritage: A Public Conversation” will be March 20-21, 2009 at the Indiana State Museum. The conference is part of a multi-year project that has resulted in the WFYI award-winning four-part documentary The Natural Heritage of Indiana. More about the project and the conference is available at www.naturalheritageofindiana.org.

The conference begins Friday evening, March 20 with a reception in the new “Footprints” exhibit gallery. It will be followed by presentations by Joe Palca, science correspondent for National Public Radio, and Samuel Orr, cinematographer, for The Natural Heritage of Indiana documentary produced by WFYI Indianapolis.

On Saturday, March 21 presenters include Judy O’Bannon, host of Communities Building Community on WFYI, speaking about historic preservation and the green movement; and John Janssen, former Mayor of Greensburg, Kansas, speaking about the rebuilding of his town as a ‘green’ community following its destruction by a tornado. Other presentations will address the birth of Monroe Reservoir, environmental justice, restoration of abandoned Indiana lands, the Marion College Ecolab and more. Exhibits will be available throughout the day. The conference will provide information and resources for educators and other interested citizens.

A major goal of the conference is to raise Hoosiers’ awareness of Indiana’s natural resources and environment. The conference plenary and concurrent sessions will have three major focuses: The Power of Place and Stewardship, Human Interaction with the Natural World, and Where Do We Go from Here?

“Where Do We Go from Here?” picks up on the challenge of Marion Jackson, General Editor, of the groundbreaking 1997 publication, The Natural Heritage of Indiana, which has provided the impetus for the documentary and this conference. In the Preface of that book, Jackson describes the book as “a celebration of Indiana’s natural heritage—its natural and human history, its landscape and its life—what it once was, what it is now, and what it promises to be.” He emphasizes the importance of understanding the past to prepare “us better to mold Indiana’s future.” He closes the Preface with a challenge: “if you feel moved to help protect what remains of Indiana’s natural heritage, our objective will have been fulfilled.”

“Indiana’s Natural Heritage: A Public Conversation” is an opportunity to discuss how Jackson’s challenge has been answered up to this point and how we may continue to mold Indiana’s future.

The conference is funded in part by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

Conference registration

Both days (includes reception Friday and lunch Saturday) $55.00 student $45.00

Friday night only (includes reception) $25.00 student $20.00

Saturday only (includes snacks/lunch) $35.00 student $30.00

Total Amount Enclosed: ______________

Registrations must be received by March 14. On-site registration will cost an additional $10.

Cancellation policy: No refunds after March 15.

Checks should be made payable to: Friends of the Indiana State Archives (FISA).

Please send registration forms with checks or POs to:

Indiana Historical Bureau

140 North Senate Avenue – room 130

Indianapolis, IN 46204

Questions?

317-232-2535

IHB@history.in.gov

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ABOUT THE SERIES:

Marion Jackson described his vision for the book The Natural Heritage of Indiana as “a celebration of Indiana’s natural heritage—its natural and human history, its landscape and its life—what it once was, what it is now, and what it promises to be.” He emphasizes the importance of understanding the past to prepare “us better to mold Indiana’s future.” He issued this challenge: “if you feel moved to help protect what remains of Indiana’s natural heritage, our objective will have been fulfilled.”

The series shares that mission. Documentary filmmaker Samuel Orr has spent more than two years, and has traveled thousands of miles to bring the landmark book to television in a four-part documentary series. The programs are produced in stunning high definition, and reveal their subjects through breathtaking photography, time-lapse cameras and innovative camera placement.

Visit the video gallery.

Episode One: The Indiana That Was
See news about broadcast schedule

From ancient seas and coral reefs, to Ice-Age glaciation, the first program will explore the massive changes in Indiana's landscape, as well as the plants and animals that developed over these periods. Just 250 years ago, the area was vastly different than the land we know today. Witness what the state once looked like, with vast forests and prairies, and a huge diversity of what now seem like exotic species

Episode Two: Life in the Water
See news about broadcast schedule

Indiana is bordered by two great water systems: Lake Michigan to the north and the Ohio River to the south. Throughout the state, entire ecosystems are built around rivers, streams and wetlands. In some areas, water exists for only parts of the year, but during those times, there is an amazing explosion of activity. This documentary takes viewers into these habitats, where they will witness the diversity of life that exists. Sometimes, the life cycles take place on a nearly microscopic level. Elsewhere, the program reveals prehistoric looking fish and amphibians that still inhabit the landscape, as well as spectacular waterfowl.

Episode Three: Life on Land
See news about broadcast schedule

In a landscape once covered by glaciers and dominated by forests and prairies, much of Indiana is now the domain of humans, who use the land for agriculture and industry. But look into the woods and the wild places (and sometimes in small tracts of land near these developed areas), and you'll still find a surprising diversity of plant and animal life. Producer/photographer Samuel Orr travels into the state's forests and caves, and reveals a land teeming with sometimes strange and beautiful plants and trees, and the birds and beasts that share these habitats. Among the highlights of this episode: the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly, and its amazing migration from Indiana to Mexico.

Episode Four: A Changing Landscape
See news about broadcast schedule

This program will focus on the alteration of the natural landscape of Indiana by humans, the consequences to native systems and organisms, and the coming of conservation and ecological study and stewardship. Much has been altered, but there are stories of hope, as well. This program will show how certain species that had been driven from the state have made successful returns, and how individuals and communities are taking important steps in restoring habitat and combating the insidious problem of invasive species.

UPDATES:

Watch for The Natural Heritage of Indiana on your local public television station.

This series is slated for broadcast on the following stations this fall:

WFYI-TV, Indianapolis
WTIU, Bloomington
WIPB, Muncie
WNIN, Evansville
WYIN, Merrillville
WNIT, Elkhart
WFWA, Fort Wayne
KET and KET-2, Louisville
WVUT-TV, Vincennes

Consult local listings for program air dates. Future e-newsletters will feature broadcast dates and times, as they become available.

*Natural Heritage of Indiana* educational outreach. A key Outreach partner in this series is the Indiana Historical Bureau. The Bureau, a state agency, will develop and maintain an exciting Natural Heritage of Indiana web site, which will present educational and outreach activities surrounding the series. The Indiana Historical Bureau, coordinating important educational outreach activities attached to the series, is planning several major educational outreach initiatives related to NHI:
Save the Dates
March 20 and 21, 2009 A statewide conference on Indiana's natural heritage is scheduled for March 20-21, 2009 at the Indiana State Museum. The two-day conference is being planned by the Indiana Historical Bureau, along with a number of partner organizations. Educators, historians, scientists and conservationists will all benefit from attending this conference. Details will be posted at www.naturalheritageofindiana.org.	February 27, 2009 A collaborative biennial teacher workshop, Presenting the Past: “Human. Nature. Natural Heritage in the Classroom” at the Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne. Three grade level tracks; keynote by Dr. Phillip Scarpino, “The Creation of Place Over Time: An Overview of American Environmental History for Teachers.” More Information
Presentations at teacher conferences: Proposals are being submitted to conferences for teachers of social studies, science, and reading for a session using The Natural Heritage of Indiana documentary for interdisciplinary teaching.

The Natural Heritage of Indiana on DVD

A two-DVD set of The Natural Heritage of Indiana is now available. All four episodes are included in the set. To purchase the 2 DVD set at the discount price of $24.00, please contact the Indiana Historical Bureau, 317-232-2535, or e-mail mallison@history.in.gov Details at www.naturalheritageofindiana.org

WFYI is the lead partner for production of The Natural Heritage of Indiana. WFYI public broadcasting is a center of discovery for all ages. Through unique programs, services and emerging technologies, WFYI is a leading community resource, empowering people to discover their world, broaden their horizons and become active participants in shaping the future. In 2007, WFYI received 21 Emmy nominations, and 10 awards for its productions, and has produced a dozen shows for national distribution in recent years.