Concord University will host the community premiere of "Three Rivers: The Bluestone, Gauley and New" on Wednesday, Feb. 27.
The 90-minute documentary, produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting, will be shown in the main theatre of the Fine Arts Center beginning at 5 p.m.
With nearly a hundred miles overseen by the National Park Service, sections of these three streams, flowing through southern West Virginia, constitute the largest federally protected system of rivers, east of the Mississippi.
"Three Rivers" examines the historical and ongoing relationship between man and nature in the region and serves as both a travelogue and an examination of efforts to improve the environment, while promoting economic growth through tourism.
The production looks at the events behind the establishment of both New River National Scenic River in North Carolina and New River Gorge National River in southern West Virginia, as well as Bluestone National Scenic River and Gauley River National Recreation Area.
It also looks at the geology and geography and what make the New, Gauley and Bluestone unique when it comes to boating and enjoying life along these streams. The impact of industry along the waterways and efforts to improve the environment and quality of life there is also examined.
Among the experts interviewed for the documentary is Jonathan Berkey, chairman of Concord's Division of Social Sciences and associate professor of history.
Berkey believes the future along the Gauley, Bluestone and New rivers depends on how the region's people view and relate to their environment and the diverse flora and fauna residing here today.
"Our identity is tied up in this landscape, in this environment and it's up to us to try to preserve that, what is left, because it really does define who we are," Berkey said. "It defines our history and, if we're careful and we do things right, it will define our future in a positive way as well."
Award-winning WVPBS documentarian Russ Barbour produced "Three Rivers." Both Berkey and Barbour will be available after the viewing on Feb. 27 for audience questions.
Assisting WVPBS with the documentary are the National Park Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture. These organizations are charged with protecting portions of the New, Bluestone and Gauley and the lands through which they flow.
The 90-minute documentary, produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting, will be shown in the main theatre of the Fine Arts Center beginning at 5 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public.
The documentary will premiere on WVPBS on Sunday March 3 at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.
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