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Tales from Urban Forests 1:The Public Green and the Poor/Watershed 263

Series: Tales from Urban Forests
From: Soundprint
Length: 00:58:55

Part one of the 3 part special documentary series on Urban Forests, from Soundprint. We look at the history of Greenery in city planning, from Thomas Jefferson to modern-day Washington DC, then visit downtown Baltimore to see the interaction between residents and their urban environment. Read the full description.
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Also in the Tales from Urban Forests series

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Tales from Urban Forests 2:Code Green/Cities of the Plain (00:58:55)
From: Soundprint

Part 2 of the three part special documentary series on Urban Forests, from Soundprint. We visit the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast, to see the effect of the storm on the ...
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Tales from Urban Forests 3:The Urban Forest Healing Center/Every Tree Tells a Story (00:58:55)
From: Soundprint

Part 3 of the three part special documentary series on Urban Forests, from Soundprint. We look at the social and psychological benefits of trees in urban settings, and ...
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Tales...Story 1: The Chesapeake Bay: (00:03:59)
From: Soundprint

A look at the problems plaguing the Bay and the use of riparian buffers and green to help improve the health of the waterway.
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Tales...Story 3: From Farm to Forest (00:05:11)
From: Soundprint

How one landowner is converting old, abused farmland back to forest to improve the health of the creek on his property in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Tales...Story 2: Technology and Trees (00:04:44)
From: Soundprint

How one urban high school is using Geographic Information Systems software in their efforts to increase tree canopy in the nation’s capital.
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Tales...Story 4: Watershed 263 (00:04:40)
From: Soundprint

An urban project in Baltimore, Maryland where scientists, city officials, and community organizations have joined forces to regreen neighborhoods in the inner city to improve ...
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Tales...Story 5:The Urban Heat Island: Problems and Solutions (00:04:00)
From: Soundprint

A look at NASA research on the urban heat island problem in Atlanta and what the city doing to overcome the problem, such as the planting of trees and the use of alternative ...
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Tales...Story 6: The Urban Heat Island and Human Health (00:03:49)
From: Soundprint

What living in a hot urban center means for respiratory health.
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Tales...Story 7: Tree Ordinances (00:04:10)
From: Soundprint

How one city is incorporating increased green space in new development.
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Tales...Story 8: Love me from a distance: The Pacific Madrone Tree (00:05:31)
From: Soundprint

This publicly loved tree is native to the Seattle area, but its living conditions are being increasingly threatened by urban development. What’s in store for the Madrone tree?

Piece Description

Tales from Urban Forests documents the impact trees and greenery have on cities around the US. The Public Green and the Poor: Numerous times in American history, reformers have sought to help the poor by putting them amidst nature -- the belief being that physical beauty can make beautiful people. It seems like an odd idea. But Thomas Jefferson believed it fervently. And it's also the reason Central Park exists in New York and the town of Greenbelt exists in Maryland. The Public Green and the Poor, from Producer Richard Paul, looks at times in America's past when nature was used to uplift the poor. Watershed 263: In urban areas across the country, we've replaced trees and grass with pavement and concrete. Storm water runoff from these paved surfaces in cities can be saturated with harmful substances such as gasoline, oil and trash. In Watershed 263, Producer Katie Gott takes us to the inner city of Baltimore, Maryland where partners have joined forces to clean up the runoff flowing into the harbor and into the Chesapeake Bay.

Broadcast History

Versions of these pieces originally aired on SOUNDPRINT's weekly series in October '05 (Watershed 263) and January '06 (Public Green and the Poor).

Timing and Cues

00:00-00:59 Billboard IN CUE [HOST]: "This is SOUNDPRINT, I'm Barbara Bogaev..." OUT CUE [HOST]: "..."After the news, from NPR"

01:00-05:59 black (news hole)

06:00-20:59 Segment A
IN CUE [HOST]: "This is Tales from Urban Forests on SOUNDPRINT..."
OUT CUE [REPORTER]: "This is SOUNDPRINT's Tales from Urban Forests. I'm Richard Paul"

21:00-21:59 Cutaway #1 [music bed]

22:00-41:29 Segment B
IN CUE [REPORTER]: "I'm Richard Paul, and this is Tales from Urban Forests, on SOUNDPRINT."
OUT CUE [REPORTER]: "I'm Katie Gott. We'll continue on our tour of Sandtown, and Watershed 263, on SOUNDPRINT'S Tales from Urban Forests, after this from your local Public Radio station."

41:30-42:29 Cutaway #2 [music bed]

42:30-58:59 Segment C
IN CUE [REPORTER w/NAT SOUND]: "I'm Katie Gott, and this is Tales from Urban Forests, on SOUNDPRINT."
OUT CUE [HOST]: "...Our Executive Producer is Moira Rankin. I'm Barbara Bogaev" @ 58:57 + :02 THEME

Additional Files

  • Gilmor Elementary is one of a dozen schools in Baltimore City who have converted their parking lots to gardens. (medP1010142.JPG)
  • Producer Katie Gott suits up and descends into the pipes to take a look for herself. (14.jpg)
  • Button #3 for station use (woods120120.jpg)
  • A quick climb down into the sewer pipes reveals a lot of trash and pollution. (03.jpg)
  • Banner for station use (woods50045.jpg)
  • Button #1 for station use (woods8060.jpg)
  • The watershed is a highly urban environment with a great deal of impervious surfaces including sidewalks, rooftops and parking lots. Pollutants run off of these surfaces and into the storm drains, eventually flowing into the Baltimore Harbor and the Ches (02.jpg)
  • Promo Text for all promos (tfufpromotext)
  • 20 second Hour 1 promo (hr120.mp2)
  • 30 second Hour 1 promo (hr130.mp2)
  • 15 second Hour 1 promo (hr115.mp2)
  • Button #2 for station use (leaf8060.gif)

Related Website

http://trees.soundprint.org