Dayton Duncan with NPT Board of Trustees

Dayton Duncan accepted the first National Park Trust 'American Park Experience' Award for his work on the new Ken Burns documentary series: The National Parks: America's Best Idea. The Award was presented by NPT Board Chair, F. William Brownell at an event hosted by the Trust on February 4th at Washington DC’s Naval Heritage Center.

Guests at the event were treated to an exclusive preview of the new film series followed by a Q&A with Dayton Duncan. Duncan is an award winning writer and the executive producer of the new documentary series that highlights the rich history and culture of the National Parks. The film is directed by renowned filmmaker, Ken Burns. According to Duncan, the 6-episode series will be aired by PBS in late September.

NPT's Board Chair said, "I think that we all agree, after seeing this preview, that when aired by PBS this fall, Dayton Duncan's work will touch and inspire many hundreds of thousands of viewers about the importance not only of preserving and protecting our National Parks, but also the need for our generation and successive generations to witness and learn first-hand about these natural treasures."

The American Park Experience Award recognizes an individual or group that has made outstanding contributions to enhance the awareness and appreciation of our nation's parks, wildlife refuges and/or historic landmarks.

Duncan extended his heartfelt thanks to NPT, acknowledging the Trust's work to protect critical parklands across the country, in particular "for saving the Tallgrass Prairie," a 10,900-acre parcel that has a deep personal connection for Duncan. This new unit of the National Park Service, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, was established due to the lead role that NPT played in its creation.

For the past six years, Duncan and Burns have been working on the series stating that "it is the story of an idea as uniquely American as the Declaration of Independence...that the most special places in the nation should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone...it is the story of people willing to devote themselves to saving some precious portion of the land they loved, and in doing so reminded their fellow citizens of the full meaning of democracy."

Duncan is the author of nine books and his articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and many other publications. He has been involved with the work of documentary filmmaker Ken Burns for many years. He was a consultant on Burns's award-winning series for public television on The Civil War, Baseball and Jazz. His most recent film with Burns is Horatio's Drive, about the first transcontinental automobile trip, which he also wrote and produced.

Proceeds from the event will benefit National Park Trust's important parkland preservation and youth education programs.

The National Park Trust is a nonprofit organization, and the nation's only organization dedicated to the completion, and the full appreciation, of the American system of National and State Parks through the identification of key land acquisition needs and opportunities, the convening of potential funders to acquire these lands, as well as increasing efforts to ensure that future generations appreciate and experience this national heritage.

National Park Trust

National Park Trust

The National Park Trust is a nonprofit 501c3 organization. NPT is the nation’s only organization dedicated to the completion, and the full appreciation, of the American system of National and State Parks through the identification of key land acquisition needs and opportunities, the convening of potential funders to acquire these lands, as well increasing efforts to ensure that future generations appreciate and experience this national heritage.

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