NJ PBS, New Jersey’s public television network, has announced that a new documentary about the Garden State’s Pine Barrens region, “Keeping the Pinelands,” will premiere Wednesday, June 28, at 8:30 p.m. on NJ PBS. It will stream on MyNJPBS.org after broadcast.
A million acres of forest in southern New Jersey was saved from over-development with the Pinelands Protection Act of 1979. But today, the Pinelands face new threats from rising sea-levels and increasingly severe fires. Keeping the Pinelands documents the role of these forests in local communities and the steps being taken to preserve this area for generations to come.
“For these forests to survive, we must find new ways to help them,” said filmmaker Susan Wallner. “Our film shows how collaborating with nature is key to keeping the Pinelands for generations to come.”
The filmmakers join Stockton University environmental science students and a crew from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service into the storied woods to learn more about the fire-adapted Pinelands ecosystem and interview an array of experts who share their vantage points of the past, present and future of these forests.
Among those featured in the half-hour film: Certified forester Bob Williams and New Jersey Audubon’s Kristen Meistrell explain how managed forests are creating optimal conditions for birds and rare wildflowers, as well as mitigating the risk of severe fires.
Fifth-generation cranberry farmer Bill Haines and third-generation saw mill owner Paul Shairer share how their family businesses have changed over the years and discuss their futures.
Artist Maya Lin talks about how the climate crisis led her to create “Ghost Forest,” an installation made from Atlantic White Cedars that fell victim to Hurricane Sandy.
Matt Olson, Professor of Environmental Science at Stockton, weighs in on the science behind the preservation of the area.
Dr. Ken Lacovara, paleontologist, geologist, and founder of the new Edelman Fossil Park & Museum at Rowan University, explains the big-picture interconnection between humans and these forests.
For a guide to exploring the Pinelands in person, see U.S. 1’s April 26, 2023, cover story, “A New Jersey Pinelands Adventure.”
