This fall, Ken Burns and PBS thrilled America with a compelling documentary showcasing the history and beauty of the country’s national parks. Now viewers can learn how five sites in Kentucky came to be protected by the National Park Service in the new high-definition KET production Kentucky’s National Parks: A Kentucky Life Special, premiering Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 8/7 p.m. CT on KET.
Hosted by Kentucky Life’s Dave Shuffett, Kentucky’s National Parks moves from the depths of Mammoth Cave to the heights of Cumberland Gap and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. In between, viewers discover how Kentucky played an important role in the history of the country.
First, Dave explores Mammoth Cave National Park in a wild cave tour. Featured segments detail the role that African-American slaves played in the exploration of the cave and reveal the still-primitive nature of this longest cave system in the world. Then, at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace, a National Historical Park, the Kentucky roots of one of the nation’s greatest presidents are examined, while at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, the program examines how the park is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The special also visits Big South Fork and stops along the certified sites in Kentucky along the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.
This program airs during WinterPledge 2009, taking place Nov. 28 –– Dec. 6. A companion website is available at www.ket.org/nationalparks.
Kentucky’s National Parks: A Kentucky Life Special is a KET production, produced by Joy Flynn.
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