NJN Invites the Public to a Hike in the Highlands
and the Premiere of The Highlands Rediscovered
at Ringwood State Park
Tuesday, September 14, 2004

STATEWIDE – The public is invited to attend a special screening in high definition of NJN’s newest documentary The Highlands Rediscovered at Skylands Manor in Ringwood State Park, Ringwood, NJ, on September 14, 2004 . The public is also invited to join NJN for a hike preceding the premiere. The one-hour hike will begin promptly at 1:30 pm at the Carriage House across from Skylands Manor and will include some steep hiking up hill. Hiking boots strongly recommended.

The reception begins at 2:30 pm at Skylands Manor with refreshments for hikers and guests. The screening of The Highlands Rediscovered, a half-hour NJN original program, will begin at 3 pm . If you are interested in attending, please contact NJN at (609) 777-0031 for directions and information and to RSVP. If you require special assistance from the parking lot to the Manor, please let us know.

The Highlands Rediscovered will be broadcast on NJN on Monday, October 11, at 9 pm, with a rebroadcast on Saturday, October 16, at 3:30 pm . The Highlands Rediscovered explores what makes this area special by focusing on the natural history of the Highlands as seen through the eyes of the professionals who study and work there.

Besides its exquisite beauty, what makes the Highlands so exceptional? For over a hundred years, the region has been pointed to as northern New Jersey ’s best, last hope for clean water – a resource we take for granted – but cannot live without. The Highlands safeguards a source of naturally clean water that provides for millions of people in cities and suburbs along the coast. In 2002, a U.S. Forest Service study of the New York-New Jersey Highlands reported in no uncertain terms that accelerating development in this northeastern “green belt” would significantly compromise the Highlands water supply.

Shot in High Definition video with an emphasis on recording the Highlands ’ physical attributes, this program is a visually captivating exploration of an underappreciated wilderness surrounded by – and supplying water to – one of the most densely populated areas in the nation. The Highlands Rediscovered can also be seen on NJN’s digital channel: the high definition broadcast will premiere Monday, October 11, at 9 pm and air every night at 9 pm through Sunday, October 17.

The Highlands Rediscovered is written and produced by Robert Szuter; associate producer is Dari Mandell; narrator is Laura Novia. The original music is by Robert Sands. Camera work by Mike Budd, Paul Horvath, Scott Neall and Jeff Reisly.

Funding for The Highlands Rediscovered has been made possible by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. For more information on the program, interviews with experts in the Highlands, images and other available resources, visit the NJN web site at www.njn.net.