NOTES FROM THE FIELD

This multiple Midwest Emmy-nominated series of short programs explores human interactions with the environment and was distributed nationally to public television stations.

John James Audubon 

A self-trained illustrator and naturalist, John James Audubon elevated the visual recording of natural science to an art form. This program explores Audubon’s formative years and the impact of his detailed works on bird, mammal, and land conservation. 2 min

Caribbean Colonization  

Spanish exploration and colonization of the Caribbean began as an extension of religious and economic expansion. This episode explores how such activities led to the extraction of natural resources and the development of sugarcane plantations, setting in motion central Europe’s influence in the New World and the New World’s influence throughout Europe.  2 min

Carolina Gold  

Prior to the American Civil War, rice production formed the economy and culture of the South Carolina Lowcountry. The plantation system – leading up to, during, and after its existence – profoundly affected cypress swamps, tidal flows, waterfowl migration – and human culture. 2 min

Levittown 

With the return of U.S. servicemen from World War II, housing needs were high in demand. This episode explores how Levittown, on New York’s Long Island, became the nation’s first modern suburb, and how it would profoundly shaped development paths, consumer behavior, and use of the automobile. 2 min

Urban Forests 

Not often thought of as “forests,” urban forests include all city trees: those on parkways; in parks, forest preserves; and on private property. Beyond providing shade and beauty, the urban forest cleans air, captures and cleans water, supports biodiversity, and conserves energy. This episode traces the evolution of urban forestry, from conceptual framework to active management. 2 min

Prescribed Fires 

Fire plays a critical role in maintaining healthy woodland and grassland ecosystems. This program traces the evolution of human attempts to use and control fire to maintain and shape the landscape in service of human needs. 2 min

Walden Pond

Henry David Thoreau has been called the father of environmentalism as well as the creator of the nature essay. This program examines the merging of these two qualities of Thoreau during the years of 1845 through 1847 when he lived in a cabin at Walden Pond. The program reflects upon how this almost mythical place of retreat has become a symbol of personal introspection and individualism. Additionally, the program explains how a group of concerned citizens, called The Walden Woods Project, saved this birthplace of 19th century New England literature from encroaching development. 2 min

Everglades

The Everglades, a vast sheet of flowing wetland, once covered most of south central Florida. But, when Florida became a state in 1845, the practice and promotion of draining the area for farmland and development began almost immediately — with devastating effects on the ecosystem. This program provides a chronology of the devastation and subsequent reclamation of this unique subtropical environment. 2 min

Urban Planning

Living in a city does not mean living devoid of nature. Through the foresight of urban planning — greenways such as parks, preserved lakefronts, and boulevards — have kept nature at the doorstep of millions of American city dwellers. This episode traces the history of man’s “organizing of nature” by explaining the evolution of Chicago’s lakefront. 2 min

American Bison

This episode features the history of the American Bison–from 1860 to the present–and tells the dramatic history of the exploitation of this great animal by hide hunters, railroad companies, and the U.S. Army. 2 min

Scenic Byways

This episode explores America’s love affair with automobile travel and its effect on the landscape and culture. The story begins with the mass production of the Ford Model-T, follows through to the creation of the interstate highway system, and concludes with the passage of the Highway Beautification Act. 2 min

Rails to Trails 

The invention of the steam engine opened up regions of this country that were once inaccessible and safeguarded from human interaction. A network of railways eventually cut across the United States providing faster transportation of goods and people. As the automobile and truck took to the center of the transportation stage, a greater number of railroad beds became abandoned. Today, those beds are being converted to biking and hiking paths.  2 min

Steel Mills

On the southeast boundary of Chicago, just 12 miles from the epicenter of the nation’s third largest city, lies a forgotten patchwork of marshes. Sometimes referred to as the “Rust Belt,” this is a landscape of stark contrasts– a man-made environment versus a natural one. While the area has been exploited for the past few hundred years–from French fur trappers to American industrialist–amazingly, the area still supports a diverse wildlife population including over 200 species of birds. 6 min

Bats 

Shot in Austin, Texas, this piece attempts to shed light on some of the more popular myths about bats. Get a close-up look at a wild Brazilian Free-Tailed bat as Tom Trinley and his guide from Bat Conservation International catch and release one of 30 million bats as they emerge from Bracken Cave, home to the world’s largest colony. 7 min

Ranching

Western cattle ranching has quite a colorful past, and at times a controversial present. Homesteaders, Native Americans, cowboys and cattle drives, public lands and overgrazing are just a few of the images that come to mind with respect to ranching. This episode traces the history of ranching and its effect on the land by touring a Colorado ranch. 7 min

Big Trees 

Some 100 years ago the battle over old growth ancient forests was begun when John Muir and Gifford Pinchot created two schools of thought – preservationist vs. conservationist. Filmed in the redwood groves of Muir Woods, just 15 miles north of San Francisco, this piece explains the origins of this heated debate, which remains unsettled to this day. 6 min

Collections  

Filmed at The Field Museum and the Chicago Academy of the Sciences, this episode explores how behind-the-scenes scientists use museum specimens to solve environmental problems, such as DDT spraying and the thinning of Bald Eagle egg shells, and to prevent the future extinction of species as exemplified through the tragic story of the Passenger Pigeon. 9 min

National Parks 

Filmed at Saguaro National Park – Tucson, Arizona, this episode  explains how a national park is created, and tells of today’s challenges associated with the parks such as overcrowding, species reintroduction, and encroaching development. 8 min