No cable television? No worries. Friends of V.I. National Park, in conjunction with Maho Bay Camps and PBS Channel 12, will host nightly showings of the Ken Burns six-part documentary series "The National Parks – America’s Best Idea."
The showings will start Sunday and run through Oct. 3 at Maho Bay Camp’s pavilion. The time is 8 to 10 p.m.
"Whether you come out to see it with us or see it in the comfort of your home, you will be wowed by the scenery and inspired by the stories," Friends President Joe Kessler said.
The series will air only on cable television via PBS Channel 12. This means that people with satellite television or who don’t have cable television service can’t see the film.
Burns filmed at all 58 national parks, including the park on St. John, but Kessler said that whether the St. John footage made the cut remains unknown.
Kessler has seen previews.
"It tells the great American story of the national parks," he said.
According to a press release from the Friends, those most-special places in the nation should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone.
The narrative traces the birth of the national park idea in the mid-1800s and follows its evolution for almost 150 years. Using archival photographs, first-person accounts of historical characters, personal memories and analysis from more than 40 interviews, along with stunning cinematography, the series chronicles the steady addition of new parks through the stories of the people who helped create them and save them from destruction.
It is simultaneously a biography of compelling characters and a biography of the American landscape.
Kessler spoke about a 1930s road trip made by a couple in the series. He said their trip introduced them to national parks.
Further information about the showing is vailable by calling Maho Bay Camps at 776-6226 or the Friends of the Park at 779-4940.