For Immediate Release
Friday, October 19, 2012
Contacts: Vickie Devenport, WSIU Outreach Coordinator, (618) 453-6148, vickie.devenport@wsiu.org
Local Film Screening to Preview Ken Burns documentary, The Dust Bowl
Carbondale, Ill. -- WSIU Public Broadcasting, the public media arm of Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC), and Artstarts in Marion will host a free preview and discussion of the new Ken Burns' documentary, THE DUST BOWL, on Tuesday, October 23 at 7pm in the Artstarts building at 104 S. Van Buren in Marion, Ill.
Mindy Scott, District Conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), will facilitate a discussion after the film. Ms. Scott has a special interest in the history of the Dust Bowl and professional experience in conservation practices. Special guests will be Ivan Dozier, Illinois State Conservationist for USDA’s NRCS, and Ron Ziehm, Illinois NRCS Assistant State Conservationist for Area 1 in Southern Illinois.
THE DUST BOWL, a new four-hour documentary by Burns, will air nationwide and locally on WSIU-TV 8.1 and WUSI-TV 16.1 on November 18 and 19, 2012 from 7-9pm, with repeats at 9pm the same night.
The film chronicles the environmental catastrophe that, throughout the 1930s, destroyed the farmlands of the Great Plains, turned prairies into deserts, and unleashed a pattern of massive, deadly dust storms that for many seemed to herald the end of the world. It was the worst manmade ecological disaster in American history. A preview is available at www.pbs.org/dustbowl.
For more information about this film screening, contact Vickie Devenport at (618) 453-6148 or vickie.devenport@wsiu.org.
----------------------------
About Artstarts
Artstarts is a Southern Illinois based, non-profit charitable organization devoted to making the "Arts" accessible to all Southern Illinois children, and providing opportunities in the arts to a diverse population with the goal of including those who do not now participate in art programs due to cultural or economic barriers.
About the USDA National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
The National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) began its fight against erosion as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) in 1935 as the Nation first turned its attention to natural resource issues as a result of The Dust Bowl Days. Today, NRCS continues to work to protect and enhance our precious natural resources by working one-on-one with private landowners and community leaders to put conservation on the land. With small teams of technical specialists in nearly every Illinois county, assistance from a conservation professional is just a phone call away!
NRCS puts more than 75 years of experience to work in assisting owners of America's private land with conserving their soil, water, and other natural resources. Local, state and federal agencies and policymakers also rely on our expertise. We deliver technical assistance based on sound science and suited to a customer's specific needs. Cost shares and financial incentives are available in some cases. Most work is done with local partners. Our partnership with local soil and water conservation districts serves almost every county in the nation, and the Caribbean and Pacific Basin. Participation in NRCS programs is voluntary. Visit www.nrcs.usda.gov to learn more or to find your local office!
About WSIU Public Broadcasting
WSIU Public Broadcasting is licensed to the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University and is an integral part of the College of Mass Communication & Media Arts on the Carbondale campus. The WSIU stations reach more than three million people across five states and beyond through three digital public television channels, three public radio stations, a radio information service, a website, and an education and community outreach department.
WSIU's mission is to improve the quality of life of the people they serve. The WSIU stations partner with other community organizations to promote positive change and to support the academic and public service missions of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Learn more and get the latest station news online at wsiu.org and on WSIU's Facebook and Twitter pages.
WSIU's programs and services are partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.
# # #
