National Parks: America's Best Idea

National Parks: America's Best Idea

The award winning series by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan is being re-broadcast on Iowa Public Television. Programs may be viewed on broadcast or on-lne from the IPTV web site.

Local broadcast of The National Parks is sponsored in part by the Iowa Parks Foundation.

The Last Refuge (1890-1915) (#102)
At the end of the 19th century a conservation movement takes shape to protect America's wilderness.

■Wed, February 3, 8:00 PM on IPTV
■Fri, February 5, 7:00 AM on IPTV World
■Fri, February 5, 1:00 PM on IPTV World
■Fri, February 5, 6:00 PM on IPTV World

The Empire of Grandeur (1915-1919) (#103)
Established in 1916, the National Park Service protects the Grand Canyon from commercial interests.
■Wed, February 10, 8:00 PM on IPTV
■Fri, February 12, 7:00 AM on IPTV World
■Fri, February 12, 1:00 PM on IPTV World
■Fri, February 12, 6:00 PM on IPTV World

Going Home (1920-1933) (#104)
The automobile allows more people to visit the parks.

The Smoky Mountains and Tetons become parks.
■Wed, February 17, 8:00 PM on IPTV
■Fri, February 19, 7:00 AM on IPTV World
■Fri, February 19, 1:00 PM on IPTV World
■Fri, February 19, 6:00 PM on IPTV World

Great Nature (1933-1945) (#105)
During an economic crisis and a world war the parks provided a source of jobs and much-needed peace.
■Wed, February 24, 8:00 PM on IPTV
■Fri, February 26, 7:00 AM on IPTV World
■Fri, February 26, 1:00 PM on IPTV World
■Fri, February 26, 6:00 PM on IPTV World

Local Brodcast is sponsored in part by the Iowa Parks Foundation.


Visit the Foundation's fan page on Facebook.

Upcoming Park Programs on Iowa Public Television

In the spirit of the upcoming Ken Burns documentary, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, IPTV gave their first-ever 'Be more Awards' to three individuals who have been champions for Iowa Public Television and Iowa's natural resources.

On Wednesday evening, September 23, Former Congressman Neal Smith (Co-Chair of the Iowa Parks Foundation), Joe Crookham (President of the Iowa Parks Foundation) and Bob Jester (longtime Des Moines business leader and conservationist) were presented with the 'Be more Awards' by Dan Miller of IPTV. Following the presentation, we were entertained with a live closed circuit concert from Central Park in New York City.

Iowa Public Television is embracing the premiere broadcast of Ken Burns' The National Parks: America's Best Idea by showcasing the wide variety of natural wonders all around us. Through these programs, Iowans will be exposed to the beauty and wonder of our natural heritage on the air, on the ground, and online.

These films are a human history set against the most stunning backdrop imaginable. These films works their way chronologically through the history of the national parks featuring characters -- some famous, most not, from every walk of life -- who dedicated their lives to insuring all could enjoy these places. These films also explore how the national park system came to be and examines some -- but not all --of how these majestic places came to be national parks.

Visit the Web Site

The Iowa Parks Foundation is a proud local sponsor of The National Parks: America's Best Idea.

National Parks: America's Best Idea
The Scripture of Nature (1851-1890) (#101)
Sun, September 27, 2009 1:00 PM (IPTV)
Sun, September 27, 2009 7:00 PM (IPTV)
Sun, September 27, 2009 9:00 PM (IPTV)
Mon, September 28, 2009 7:00 AM (IPTV World)
Mon, September 28, 2009 1:00 PM (IPTV World)
In 1872, Congress acts to protect land that will become America's first national park, Yellowstone. Watch Online Play Video

THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA'S BEST IDEA Schullery ... Historian Paul Schullery and former National Park Service director George Hartzog describe the power of the national parks.... 01:30 Play Video

THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA'S BEST IDEA Collecting ... Tuan Luong, a climber and photographer who was so captivated by the splendor of the national parks that he decided to continue ... 03:08 Play Video

THE NATIONAL PARKS Yosemite's Buffalo Soldiers ... Yosemite ranger Shelton Johnson and his rediscovered the story of the African American soldiers who patrolled the parks ... 11:31 Play Video

THE NATIONAL PARKS Mount Rushmore: Telling America's ... Focuses on the new interpretive program at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, spearheaded by Supt. Gerard Baker. 09:33 Play Video

THE NATIONAL PARKS Manzanar: "Never Again" ... Stories of Japanese internment during World War II, Sue Kunitomi Embrey's efforts to commemorate Manzanar internment camp, ... 14:21 Watch more video from this program »

Iowa's National Parks Stories

Thu, September 24, 10:30 PM on IPTV Television producer Dayton Duncan talks with Iowa Public Television about the history of National Parks and the making of the PBS documentary series. Also featured are stories about Iowans who helped create our National Park system: John F. Lacey and William T. Hornaday. Plus, a glimpse of a wild 1921 adventure when Clinton, Iowa, boy scouts drove model T's to Yellowstone

Grand Lodges (#101)
Sun, September 27, 3:00 PM on IPTV

The story of Yellowstone's Old Faithful Lodge and Yosemite's luxurious Ahwahnee Hotel are detailed.

Canyon Lodges (#102)
Sun, September 27, 4:00 PM on IPTV

A close look at El Tovar in Grand Canyon National Park and Zion Lodge in Utah's Zion National Park.

Episode #201
Wed, September 23, 7:00 PM on IPTV

Visit Death Valley's Furnace Creek Inn and the Lake Quinault Lodge in the Olympic National Forest.

Roughing It In Style In Alaska and the Rockies (#202)

Rocky Mountain National Park is just out your back door at the grand and graceful Stanley Hotel.
Wed, September 23, 8:00 PM on IPTV

Glacier Lodges (#103)

Glacier Park Lodge, Lake McDonald, Many Glacier Lodge and Sperry Chalet in Montana are showcased. Sun, September 27, 5:00 PM on IPTV

Pacific Northwest Lodges (#104)

Visit Paradise Inn in Mount Rainier National Park and Timberline Lodge on Oregon's Mount Hood.

Sun, September 27, 6:00 PM on IPTV

The Scripture of Nature (1851-1890) (#101)

In 1872, Congress acts to protect land that will become America's first national park, Yellowstone.

Sun, September 27, 1:00 PM on IPTV

Sun, September 27, 7:00 PM on IPTV

Sun, September 27, 9:00 PM on IPTV

Mon, September 28, 7:00 AM on IPTV World

Mon, September 28, 1:00 PM on IPTV World

Mon, September 28, 5:00 PM on IPTV World

The Last Refuge (1890-1915) (#102)

At the end of the 19th century a conservation movement takes shape to protect America's wilderness.

Mon, September 28, 7:00 PM on IPTV

Mon, September 28, 9:30 PM on IPTV

Tue, September 29, 7:00 AM on IPTV World

Tue, September 29, 1:00 PM on IPTV World Tue, September 29, 5:00 PM on IPTV World

The Empire of Grandeur (1915-1919) (#103)

Established in 1916, the National Park Service protects the Grand Canyon from commercial interests.

Tue, September 29, 7:00 PM on IPTV

Tue, September 29, 9:00 PM on IPTV

The National Parks: America's Best Idea - Presentation

Indianola native Dayton Duncan will discuss and screen part of his new project "The National Parks: America's Best Idea," which he produced with Ken Burns. The documentary premieres nationally on Sept. 27.

WHEN and WHERE: 3 and 7 p.m. Friday at Simpson College's Lekberg Hall in Indianola...
7 p.m. Saturday at Iowa Western Community College's Looft Hall in Council Bluffs

ADMISSION: Free

BONUS: An earlier Duncan/Burns project, "Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery," airs at 3 p.m. Sunday on Iowa Public Television.

INFO: pbs.org/nationalparks

Dayton Duncan, an Indianola, Iowa native, will visit Indianola on Friday and Council Bluffs on Saturday to talk about the filming process - all six years, 800 rolls of film and 50 interviews of it. He'll talk about how the show, like earlier projects with Burns ("The Civil War," "Baseball" and "Jazz"), explores the big sweep of history and draws parallels with today.

Duncan's research also casts new light on some of the parks' unsung heroes, including the late U.S. Rep. John Lacey, an eight-term Republican from Oskaloosa. He authored bills around the turn of the last century that protected park animals from poaching and gave presidents the authority to set aside new areas for historic and scientific reasons.

Theodore Roosevelt used Lacey's Antiquities Act of 1906 to protect Devils Tower and the Grand Canyon, and President Carter used it to save wildlife in Alaska. Most recently, President George W. Bush used the law to preserve Hawaii's northwestern islands.

The Antiquities Act "really is the greatest tool for conservation in history," Duncan said. "As a fellow Iowan, I'm particularly proud to give John F. Lacey the credit he's due."The filmmaker hopes the series will renew enthusiasm for the "uniquely American" idea of the national parks.