UA’s ‘Discovering Alabama’ Celebrates 20 Years

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – This year marks the 20th anniversary of the television series “Discovering Alabama,” a production of The University of Alabama’s Museum of Natural History, which brings the state’s natural diversity into homes and classrooms from Mobile to Huntsville via Alabama Public Television.

An open-house reception to honor the fans and supporters will be held at UA with the host, Dr. Doug Phillips, Sunday, Nov. 13, at the Alabama Museum of Natural History, Smith Hall, from 2-4 pm. Admission is free. To give back to the community that supports “Discovering Alabama,” sets of programs are being donated to The RISE Program on the UA campus, FOCUS on Senior Citizens in Tuscaloosa, Greene County Board of Education and Midfield Public Library in Birmingham.

“Discovering Alabama” continues its 20-year celebration with two new programs airing Nov. 13 on Alabama Public Television. Join Phillips on a grand aerial tour with dazzling hi-definition footage of the entire system of “National Forest in Alabama” at 8 p.m. At 8:30 p.m. “Little River Canyon National Preserve” explores a dramatic natural treasure so impressive it is often called the Grand Canyon of the East.

The award-winning television documentary series first appeared on Alabama Public Television in 1985 and has a loyal following among viewers throughout the state.

“People love to see and hear about the remarkable natural diversity of our state,” said Phillips, creator and host of “Discovering Alabama.” Phillips, who earned his doctorate from UA, began the series as a means of presenting Alabama’s natural heritage to a wider audience.

“As an environmental educator, I knew Alabama’s natural wonders to be a powerful teaching tool,” said Phillips. The series supports state K–12 academic requirements in science, history, social studies, geography and environmental education. “Discovering Alabama,” with its accompanying teacher guides, can be found in classrooms in every school system in the state. APT’s web-based digital resource library, APTPLUS, allows educators to download “Discovering Alabama” programs that are correlated with the Alabama Course of Study.

“It’s amazing for any television series to last twenty years, but what excites us is the educational outreach ‘Discovering Alabama’ provides,” says Dr. Robert Clouse, director of UA’s Alabama Museum of Natural History. “The Museum’s mission is to broaden the knowledge of natural sciences and human culture, and ‘Discovering Alabama’ has become one of our most valuable tools for reaching this goal.”

For more information, phone 205/348-3553 or visit http://www.discoveringalabama.org/.