KERA launches Living with the Trinity website, radio series

by PegNews wire

The Trinity River is a source of hope, conflict and a vital water resource for the people of North Texas. For more than 150 years, floods, drought and pollution have influenced local attitudes towards the river. Today, some civic leaders in Dallas and Fort Worth believe that redevelopment along the river will promote an economic renaissance. KERA’s Living with the Trinity multimedia project explores the history of North Texans’ relationship with the Trinity River with a new Web site at www.TrinityRiverTexas.org, a series of radio reports to air May 12 to 15 on KERA-FM, and a television documentary to air on KERA-TV in the fall of 2009.

Visitors can explore the geography, ecology and cultural history of the Trinity River through interactive maps, videos and photographs on the Web site. They can also share personal memories and observations about the Trinity and current plans to redevelop it as part of a living archive on the Web site. The Web site is presented in sections. Explore offers a map-based history of Dallas’ attempts to manage the river’s tendency to flood and looks at the challenges of managing pollution in the river. Visualize shows visitors the Trinity River system as a whole and offers an interactive way to experience the hidden beauty of the vast network of creeks and forks that feed the river in North Texas. Voices features a collection of short interviews with people who offer their memories and observations about the river. Visitors are invited to share their own memories and opinions and contribute photographs and videos in the Share/Community section of the Web site. Additional story-based content as well as classroom orientated educational materials will be added to the Web site throughout the year.

KERA’s news team will present a series of radio reports May 12 to 15 during Morning Edition (5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.) and All Things Considered (4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) on KERA-FM. Podcasts will be available online at www.kera.org and at www.TrinityRiverTexas.org. KERA’s Shelley Kofler will report on the source of our water and investigate past and future efforts to meet the growing need in North Texas. B.J. Austin will examine water consumption for business, residential and agricultural use. Bill Zeeble will report on the long-term drought and its impact on the communities of North Texas.

Living with the Trinity is made possible through a leadership grant from The Meadows Foundation with additional support provided by the Dixon Water Foundation.

Source: KERA