Everglades of the North- Documentary from Lakeshore PBS (DVD)
From Lakeshore PBS: EVERGLADES OF THE NORTH: THE STORY OF THE GRAND KANKAKEE MARSH is a missing piece of American ecology that compels the viewer to consider the vital role wetlands and prairies play in our ecosystem, and delivers the ongoing and living story of the GKM through expert interviews, beautiful high-definition wildlife footage, historic never-before-seen photographs, and dramatic recreations.
From NPU: Truly the local ecological disaster that Hoosiers have never heard of, this home-grown documentary is a must see for any in Indiana. It documents the importance of one of of the largest inland wetlands in North America, and its catastrophic draining in the 1910s that erased Indiana’s largest freshwater lake and eliminated an estimated one fifth of the United State’s migratory birds. Today, after restoration efforts, less than 5% of the marsh remains, scattered between agricultural fields. The Grand Kankakee, past and present, is a dramatic reference point for how far the baseline of what is considered “normal” environmental health, wildlife populations, and biological diversity has changed in the last century alone, and invaluable context for the ecological landscape of the entire lower Great Lakes region.
UPDATES:
-LAKESHORE PBS has now made the full documentary available online- click here to watch! We are still proud to offer a physical copy to support Lakeshore PBS and make this information available offline.
-Bogus Island, the dune that was once in the middle of old Beaver Lake, is now the highlands of TNC Kankakee Sand’s bison viewing lookout and is accessible to the public!