Chicago's True Nature: The Forest Preserves of Cook County Emmy Award Documentary Film

About the Program

Category: Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

Dear NACO Committee, Chicago is an urban jungle with nearly 3-million people living here. You’ll find many of them elbow to elbow each day on buses and trains commuting to and from work. Others are tangled up in rush hour traffic along nearly 4,000 miles of paved roads. Then there’s the noise and the grime and the crime. It can get overwhelming at times. However, there is a way to escape all of that. Just minutes away from the madness of the city there are grand open spaces. Like warm nurturing arms they surround Chicago. But, many people don’t know about these places despite the fact these areas have been preserved and protected for over 100 years. These green spaces offer a healing and vital connection with nature. They are hidden treasures in Chicago’s backyard. The Cook County Forest Preserves is one of the oldest and largest forest preserve systems in the nation. Just like Chicago itself, it has a rich history with extensive holdings that include nearly 70,000 acres of ancient prairies, pristine wetlands, marshes, forests – and even a 12,000 year old canyon. With some of the greatest biodiversity in the world, Preserve scientists have become national leaders in biological and zoonotic research. For your consideration, Chicago’s True Nature is an hour-long documentary exploring the vastness of the Cook County Forest Preserves system. This magical urban oasis is seen through the eyes and experiences of the people who take loving care of them and those residents who enjoy them. Production crews spent more than a year recording the sights and sounds of the Preserves. Our cameras and microphones captured the passion and the dedication involved in restoration, conservation, recreation and education efforts of these amazing public resources that are often hidden in plain sight. Below are the links to the film and I would be happy to send a DVD: Full documentary (60 minutes) HD 1080p download (1.9 GB): https://vimeo.com/fpdcc/review/164626305/cb88e5698b Click “Clip Info / Download” then “HD1080p” Short version (21 minutes) HD 1080p download (719MB): https://vimeo.com/fpdcc/review/167811675/2b2ae4bca4 Click “Clip Info / Download” then “HD1080p” Promo (3 minutes) HD 1080p download (126MB): https://vimeo.com/fpdcc/review/169264463/9df369977d Click “Clip Info / Download” then “HD1080p” In addition to winning the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Achievement for Informational/Instructional Programming-Program/Special/Series the film was selected to be included in the "One Earth Film Festival." The film's premiere was at Chicago's IMAX Theater at Navy Pier and featured several times on WYCC PBS Television. The distribution has been to libraries and schools throughout Cook County, the 2nd largest County in the United States and in partnership with WYCC PBS TV. We appreciate your consideration. Sincerely, Mary Pat Cross, Executive Producer and Assistant to the Deputy Superintendent for Special Projects