The origins of a distinct Southern identity can be traced back to the colonial era when a regional “otherness” began to emerge -- an “otherness” that continues to this day. Why? What role has this distinct identity played in the American experiment? Will this identity continue or fade away as American culture evolves and matures?

As someone born and raised in the South, I have struggled for most of my life to define my own Southern identity. Southern Like Me will be an honest journey of discovery as I attempt to understand Southern identity and what it means to be a Southerner in 21st century America.

This film will be produced for national broadcast distribution via PBS.

Prairie Power will explore the viability of using tallgrass prairie biomass to produce a sustainable, low input combustible fuel source comprised of perennial prairie plants to generate electric power.

Burning tallgrass prairie biomass in concert with coal and other fossil fuels will reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality and mitigate the negative effects of climate change. Additionally, the production and proper management of tallgrass prairie biomass plots, on marginal agricultural land, could play a key role in restoring tallgrass prairie to many parts of the Midwest, thus providing a reliable source of income for farmers while improving water quality, reducing soil erosion, sequestering carbon and providing millions of acres of new wildlife habitat.

Prairie Power is currently in year two of production with an anticipated completion date of 2013.

New Light Media is pleased to announce the release of a new film, Prescribed Fire in Grasslands.This 45 minute demonstration film illustrates basic prescribed fire techniques, the evaluation of a burn site, the writing of a burn plan and the conducting of a prescribed burn based on a written plan.

Bonus features include 22 minutes of post burn review, an overview of basic prescribed fire clothing and equipment and DVD-ROM materials for use in your personal computer. These DVD-ROM materials include a Burn Plan spreadsheet and an informational brochure from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in PDF form.

A DVD of Prescribed Fire in Grasslands may be obtained by sending your $5.00 check or money order (made payable to the Tallgrass Prairie Center) to the following address:

Tallgrass Prairie Center
University of Northern Iowa
2412 West 27th Street
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0294

The production of Prescribed Fire in Grasslands was underwritten by the NRCS. The film was shot in widescreen, high-definition digital video and produced by New Light Media, Inc. for the Tallgrass Prairie Center at the University of Northern Iowa.

Completed Project:

America's Lost Landscape: The Tallgrass Prairie tells the rich and complex story of one of the most astonishing alterations of nature in human history.

Prior to Euro-American settlement in the 1820s, one of the major landscape features of North America was 240 million acres of tallgrass prairie. But between 1830 and 1900 – in the space of a single lifetime – the tallgrass prairie was steadily transformed to farmland. This drastic change in the landscape also brought about an enormous social change for Native Americans; in an equally short time their cultural imprint was reduced in essence to a handful of place-names appearing on maps.

America’s Lost Landscape examines the record of human struggle, triumph, and defeat that prairie history exemplifies, including the history and culture of America’s aboriginal inhabitants.

The story of how and why the prairie was changed by Euro-American settlement is thoughtfully nuanced. The film also highlights prairie preservation efforts and explores how the tallgrass prairie ecosystem may serve as a model for a sustainable agriculture of the future.

The extraordinary cinematography of prairie remnants, original score and archival images are all delicately interwoven to create a powerful and moving viewing experience about the natural and cultural history of America.