VISIONKEEPERS, New Original Series on CREATE TV, Explores Innovations In Sustainability

VisionKeepers,TM a six-part public television series, explores how individuals and organizations across the United States are improving their communities through innovations focused on sustainability in its varied forms. These "VisionKeepers" look to past generations who did not waste resources out of necessity for inspiration, using modern ingenuity to move away from a disposable mindset to benefit current and future generations.

VisionKeepers premieres on the public television Create ® channel on Friday September 7 with episodes airing weekly at 11:30 am and 5:30 pm ET (check local listings and adjust for time zones). The series is also available on the PBS Passport streaming service for PBS members. A companion podcast explores additional stories of sustainability. ( https://visionkeeperstv.com/vkpodcast).

The VisionKeepersTM series is created and hosted by Dan Bärham, an American entrepreneur in land management and investment who dedicated himself to promoting conservation and sustainability after an assignment in Europe changed his perspective.

In this first season, half-hour episodes filmed in Oregon, Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri, and Texas introduce a diverse range of people and companies whose work has impacted their communities with environmental, economic, and social benefits.

As Bärham explains, "The sustainability movement goes back for generations before it had a name. It's much more sophisticated in scope now, but easier than ever to achieve. The stories we tell on VisionKeepersTM demonstrate how we can be the change that's needed to preserve our country's resources and improve our communities." At the end of each episode, Bärham asks, "We all leave our print on this world, what will yours be?" - inviting viewers to continue the sustainability conversation online at VisionKeepersTV.com where they can post about their own local sustainability efforts and get ideas from others.

The series premiere explores a variety of sustainability efforts in South Carolina's Lowcountry region from the green roof revolution to a co-op that incubates farm and food enterprise to the innovative infrastructure of a well trafficked bridge that protects the local marshland ecosystem instead of polluting it. Later episodes offer more inspiring stories from those "VisionKeepers" TM finding ways to reduce the negative impacts of modern life. Reports from the South and Pacific Northwest reveal the impact of replacing traditional 'gray' or human engineered systems for storm water management with new 'green' methods to transform a community BEYOND how their runoff is contained. A look at two non-profits in Portland, Oregon demonstrates how the concepts of reclaiming and rebuilding are part of a sustainable culture that can turn people's lives around and change the way a community uses local resources. In Kansas City, the series examines the concept of smart cities - where a revolution of integrated technology is going to enhance livability with responsive, real-time solutions to transportation, communication and more issues across cities and workplaces. A manufacturing company in ATLANTA leads a new era of industry as an advocate for the earth, changing their process without losing profits and making sustainability education for the next generation part of their mission. And in Austin, Texas, Barton Springs' successful balance of public playground and federally protected habitat, and programs geared to families and children to promote healthy lifestyles, introduce the concept of sustainability of the human experience.

Produced by Südlich Productions, LLC. Executive Producer: Dan Bärham. Director: Carl Pennington. Presented by Blue Ridge PBS. Distributed by American Public Television (APT).

About Blue Ridge PBS

The mission of Blue Ridge PBS is to enrich people's lives by providing educational, informational and cultural programming that fills a unique role as a positive and lifelong resource for the communities we serve.

Founded in 1967, Blue Ridge PBS in Roanoke, VA is the four-time winner of regional Emmy Awards for documentaries and community service. As the region's storyteller, Blue Ridge PBS offers outstanding informational, educational and cultural programming, along with an award-winning local production team devoted to regional issues and interests. Blue Ridge PBS national presentations include The Best of The Joy of Painting and BEYOND Your Backyard.

No matter where you live, Blue Ridge PBS enriches your community through our local productions, national programming and educational initiatives. For more information, visit http://www.blueridgepbs.org.

About APT

American Public Television (APT) is the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation's public television stations. For more than 10 years, APT distributed one-third or more of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. Founded in 1961, among its 250 new program titles per year, APT programs include prominent documentaries, performance, news and current affairs programs, dramas, how-to programs, children's series and classic movies. AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN From Cook's Illustrated, Cook's Country, AfroPoP, Rick Steves' Europe, Chris Kimball's Milk Street Television, Front and Center, Doc Martin, Nightly Business Report, Midsomer Murders, A Place to Call Home, Lidia's Kitchen, Globe Trekker, New Orleans Cooking with Kevin Belton, Simply Ming, and P. Allen Smith's Garden Home are a sampling of APT's programs, considered some of the most popular on public television. APT licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. Now in its 13th year, Create®TV - featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming - is distributed by American Public Television. APT also distributes WORLD™, public television's premier news, Science and documentary channel. To find out more about APT's programs and services, visit APTonline.org.

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