The Public Broadcasting System (PBS) will air “America’s Lost Landscape: The Tallgrass Prairie” at 10 p.m. (EDT); 9 p.m. (CDT), Sunday, April 1.

 

Daryl Smith, professor of biology and director of UNI’s Native Roadside Vegetation Center, co-produced the feature-length documentary with David O’Shields of New Light Media in Cedar Falls. Critically acclaimed actress and Cedar Falls native Annabeth Gish narrated the film, which tells the story of one of the most astonishing alterations of nature in history.

 

“We are very excited about it airing on PBS. It completes one of our main objectives when we started the film about 11 to 12 years ago, and that was to get it broadcast nationally,” Smith said.

 

In the early 1820s, one of the major features of North America was 240 million acres of tallgrass prairie. By 1900 the tallgrass prairie had been converted to cropland. This drastic event also impacted the Native Americans; in a short time their cultural imprint was reduced in essence to a handful of place-names appearing on maps.

All 396 public television stations in the country will receive the broadcast.

 

“It’s a great opportunity for people all over the country to learn about tallgrass prairie. The reception of the film has been very rewarding. We’re very pleased.” Smith said.

 

Major funding for “America’s Lost Landscape: The Tallgrass Prairie” has been provided by:

The R.J. McElroy Trust
The Young Family Foundation of Waterloo, Iowa
Iowa Resource Enhancement and Protection—Conservation Education Program
Iowa Living Roadway Trust Fund
Wallace Genetic Foundation
U.S. Department of Agriculture— Natural
Resources Conservation Service
Daryl and Sue Smith
Truax Company