Show focuses on Cuyahoga Valley park

the vindicator

KENT — A one-hour documentary that tells the story of Cuyahoga Valley National Park will premiere tonight on Western Reserve PBS.

“Generations: Cuyahoga Valley National Park” will air at 8 and again at 11 tonight. It is a companion production to Ken Burns’ six-part documentary series “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” which begins tonight on PBS. Additional air dates for “Generations” are 2 p.m. Tuesday; 10 p.m. Wednesday; 8 p.m. Thursday; and 9 p.m. Oct. 4.

“We knew the chances were good that Ken Burns would focus on the iconic national parks, so we chose to focus on the Cuyahoga Valley story ourselves,” said Duilio Mariola, Western Reserve Public Media production manager. “Over the course of this past year, we shot more than 50 hours of high-definition footage so that we could accurately represent the park during every season.”

He added that the concept of “generations” applies to all aspects of the CVNP. “Obviously, it is a story of people who have benefited from the park’s resources, but we also acknowledge the evolution of the park’s geology and the generations of animals that have called the valley home.”

“Generations” is the first full-length broadcast documentary about 34-year-old Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It showcases the park’s 33,000 acres through a variety of methods, including archival video footage, recent interviews, oral histories and memorabilia provided by the park visitors.

Integral to the production are the stories provided by more than 40 people who answered the station’s invitation to share their park memories and experiences. Anecdotes about valley farming, weekend hikes and wedding proposals enrich the concept of generations in the production, according to Mariola. Community members and business leaders also talk about the difficulties experienced during the park’s formative years as a new National Park Service entity.

Western Reserve Public Media also has produced an interactive Web site for “Generations” at www.generationscvnp.org, where the entire program will be available for free viewing after Oct. 1. The site also features background video, including full-length interviews, oral histories, videography and photography. There are options for people to post their own video and photos, plus downloadable podcasts that will direct people to places to visit within CVNP.