JOHNSON, IOWA (February 19, 2020) — The year 2020 marks the centennial of Iowa's state parks system. To help commemorate this milestone, Iowa PBS will debut Iowa Outdoors: 100th Anniversary of Iowa State Parks on Wednesday, March 4, at 6:30PM on air and online as part of Festival 2020.
This new special explores the natural beauty, artistic inspiration, and historic significance that Iowa's parks have to offer. Featuring artists profiling their own parks, and utilizing modern aerial videography, Iowa Outdoors brings viewers to the state parks of yesterday and shares the inspiration they may bring for the next 100 years.
"Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Iowa's state parks is an opportunity for Iowa PBS viewers to rediscover the natural environments in their own backyard," said Iowa PBS Senior Producer and Director Andrew Batt. "Even after a century of visits, these parks serve as showcases for seasonal beauty, artistic inspiration and storytelling."
Of Iowa's 83 state parks, 13 are featured in the program.
- Backbone State Park, Delaware County
- Honey Creek State Park, Appanoose County
- Lacey Keosauqua State Park, Van Buren County
- Lake Macbride State Park, Johnson County
- Ledges State Park, Boone County
- Maquoketa Caves State Park, Jackson County
- Palisades-Kepler State Park, Linn County
- Pilot Knob State Park, Hancock County
- Preparation Canyon State Park, Monona County
- Red Haw State Park, Lucas County
- Stone State Park, Woodbury County
- Waubonsie State Park, Fremont County
- Wildcat Den State Park, Muscatine County
In addition to Iowa PBS's statewide broadcast, viewers from across the state and beyond will be able to livestream Iowa Outdoors: 100th Anniversary of Iowa State Parks on iowapbs.org, Facebook and YouTube. The program will also be available on demand on iowapbs.org and the PBS Video App.
Iowa PBS is formerly known as Iowa Public Television. New name. Same essential mission.
As Iowa's only statewide television network, Iowa PBS's mission to educate, inform, enrich and inspire Iowans guides its quality, noncommercial programming that tells Iowa's stories like no one else can. Four statewide, public channels offer programs of lasting value to Iowans, regardless of where they live or what they can afford: Iowa PBS .1, Iowa PBS KIDS .2, Iowa PBS WORLD .3 and Iowa PBS Create .4 on Channel 11, Des Moines; Channel 12, Iowa City; Channel 21, Fort Dodge; Channel 24, Mason City; Channel 27, Sioux City; Channel 32, Waterloo; Channel 32, Council Bluffs; Channel 36, Davenport; and Channel 36, Red Oak. More information can be found at iowapbs.org.
