Title oThe Nature Conservancy Holds World Premiere of New Video
"Where Waters Wed" Explored Natural Heritage of Southwest Indiana
EVANSVILLE, INDIANA — The Nature Conservancy’s Indiana Chapter will be holding the world premiere of Where Waters Wed, a video exploring the natural heritage of Southwest Indiana. The premiere will be held at the Culver Elementary School in Evansville on Friday, May 15, at 1:00 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend the premiere.
“The Conservancy’s goal with this video is to increase public stewardship for southwest Indiana natural areas and the flora and fauna that live there,” said Allen Pursell of The Nature Conservancy. “There is an intense curiosity for those places seldom visited and for the rare animals that live there. The public will take a more active interest in protecting cypress swamps and other special places as they become more familiar with the plants and animals that inhabit them.”
Prior to European settlement, southern Indiana had thousands of acres of cypress swampland. Today, this habitat is limited to a few hundred acres nestled between the Ohio and Wabash Rivers at the extreme southwestern region of the state.
Swamplands are often neglected because it is difficult for the public to understand their importance in sustaining the area’s biodiversity. Awareness of the cypress swamp’s incredible flora and fauna is the first step in developing local stewardship.
The Nature Conservancy has committed resources to saving this rare Indiana environment for future generations to enjoy. However, they need the support of the surrounding communities to help safeguard the area’s status as a premiere wetland habitat.
One of the principal funders for the video was CountryMark, an Indiana oil refining and marketing company.
 “CountryMark has close ties to southwest Indiana and the natural resources of the region, so we were delighted to be able to partner with them in putting together a video that highlights some of the unique natural features of this part of the world” said Pursell.
According to CountryMark CEO and President Charlie Smith, CountryMark’s roots in southwest Indiana go back to the 1940s when petroleum deposits were discovered in the region and CountryMark began construction of an oil refinery in Mt. Vernon, Indiana.
“Many of our employees have lived in southwest Indiana their whole lives and this is their world,” said Smith. “We believe you can’t have quality of life without nature or without employment. Both are vitally important to be happy, successful and content in life.”
Partnerships have also been critical to the success of CountryMark. “There is a parallel between that and The Nature Conservancy’s ability to partner with corporations, land owners and farmers,” said Smith. “By bringing people together with similar goals, The Nature Conservancy has found resources to put behind our mutual commitment to protect the environment.”
The video captures the pattern of life in a single summer day. Early morning scenes of the waking environment capture the beauty and mystery of the area. As morning gives way to midday, new groups of creatures appear. The interaction between groups of animals evolves as the day gives way to evening. Interviews with local people emphasize how important the area is to the communities that surround it.
For more information about The Nature Conservancy’s premiere, please contact Cassie Hauswald at (812) 737-2087 or chauswald@tnc.org.
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.
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