NATIONAL PARKS: Wisconsin

National Parks: Wisconsin is the name of the 30-minute special, co-produced by Wisconsin Public Television and Milwaukee Public Television

It's in the works right now and on July 6th Videographer Mike Eicher and I were out scouting locations to use as a backdrop to tell the unique stories of Wisconsin's National Parks.

We will be shooting on location in August with hosts Patty Loew of Wisconsin Public Television and Dan Small of Milwaukee Public Television. We picked the former homestead of Wisconsin's own John Muir located in Marquette County. It was in this spot that Muir developed a vision for a national parks system and that's the reason he's known as the "Father" of our National Parks.

So can you name the 4 National Parks in Wisconsin? No, John Muir's homestead is not one of them. Wisconsin's contributions include the Ice Age National Scenic Trail (which by the way does border John Muir's childhood farm), the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and the North Country National Scenic Trail. We will explore some of the most unique features of each park and introduce viewers to people who are passionate about those natural wonders.

Watch for National Parks: Wisconsin coming this September to Wisconsin Public Television. PBS is also working with Producer Ken Burns on a National Parks special. Watch for it September 27 - October 2nd. We hope you'll join us.