Keeping hope, faith alive
Documentary shows Northwest Indiana for wild marvel it is
GARY, Ind. — Lee Botts got right to it at the world premiere Thursday of ‘‘Shifting Sands on the Path to Sustainability.’’
After producer/director Pat Wisniewski pulled 19 people onto the stage to thank them before the documentary showed at Indiana University Northwest, Botts, the executive director, said: ‘‘Bottom line? This project turned into a community project. Now it is time to show it.’’
Times have changed radically in Northwest Indiana, especially the wild spaces. From sprawling sand dunes with diverse ecosystems to the varied fisheries of perch, steelhead and smallmouth bass to the heavy industrial stamp of steel mills and smokestacks, Northwest Indiana embraces the great anomaly of modern urban wild spaces like few other areas.
‘‘Shifting Sands’’ nails that anomaly in the Indiana Dunes region. Or rivets it, connecting not only the conflict between heavy industry and natural wonders but also why the region is known as ‘‘the birthplace of ecological science in North America.’’
While the premiere was Thursday, ‘‘Shifting Sands’’ debuted Friday (Earth Day) on Lakeshore Public Television. It will be distributed nationally by American Public Television. A special showing/discussion will be held at 10 a.m. May 7 at the Field Museum.
There’s tons of talent and years of experience behind ‘‘Shifting Sands.’’ Botts is a noted environmentalist with decades of work to her credit, especially on Lake Michigan.
Producers include Wisniewski, Tom Desch and Rana Segal. Wisniewski and Desch worked on ‘‘Everglades of the North: The Story of the Grand Kankakee Marsh,’’ a documentary I raved about during its production and when it was finished.
Segal has an extensive resume in Chicago and around the world. Brian Kallies, another ‘‘Everglades of the North’’ vet, was an editor/ story consultant.
‘‘This documentary is full of love,’’ Legacy Foundation president Carolyn Saxton said.
And more. Dr. Kenneth Schoon’s companion book will come out shortly. Chris Kustusch, Jennifer Davies and Mitch Crawmer are working on a curriculum for sixth through 12th grades.
Anyone who fishes the southern Lake Michigan shore or drives to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore or Indiana Dunes State Park knows the stark contrast between the industrial history and the wild history of the dunes.
‘‘Shifting Sands’’ sets up that contrast nicely, then brings in the resolution of the last couple of decades, when industry and environmentalists reached working accords and brought real change.
What I found most interesting was the people I met in ‘‘Shifting Sands,’’ both figures from history and talking heads. There’s botanist Henry Chandler Cowles, author/ artist Earl Reed, artist Frank Dudley, Dorothy Buell, Stephen Mather and the Prairie Club.
The best sound in ‘‘Shifting Sands’’ comes from Dr. Mark Reskin. Listen for it. There’s a wonderful story about Illinois Sen. Paul Douglas and President John F. Kennedy in the Rose Garden.
As Wisniewski collected another two dozen people on stage after the viewing, Botts looked at kids — actors in a final scene — and said, ‘‘We are counting on you.’’
‘‘Shifting Sands’’ is filled with faith and hope. I wonder if in another 30 years those kids will find that faith and hope justified.
Follow me on Twitter @BowmanOutside.