News Room

News Release

	Contact:
October 7, 2005	Mark S. Cox, APR Director of Public Communications 382-6241 (WK)
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For immediate release	Lizz Gunnufsen Public Communications Coordinator 382-6241 (WK)

THE GREAT DISMAL SWAMP - GLIMPSE INTO THE WILD TO BE TELECAST ON WCTV-48

CHESAPEAKE - WCTV-48 will premiere The Great Dismal Swamp - Glimpse into the Wild, on Sunday, October 16, at 7:00 p.m. The program covers the rich history and the unique ecosystem of the Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Refuge. WCTV-48 can be seen on Cox Communications cable in Chesapeake, and online at www.CityOfChesapeake.net. The program will be re-telecast through October 30.

The program includes interviews with historians, environmental experts, archeologists, and eyewitnesses to the evolution of the Great Dismal Swamp. Since the 1700s, the Great Dismal Swamp has been a haven for runaway slaves, a route for traders, a resource for timber, natural habitat, and today, an attraction for ecotourists, birdwatchers and others who simply appreciate the beauty and mystery that remains.

"I hope Chesapeake residents will enjoy watching this program," says Chesapeake Mayor Dalton S. Edge. "Hearing these stories and learning about the history reminds us that the Great Dismal Swamp Refuge is a precious resource in our community."

Program viewers will learn much about the importance of the swamp as part of the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Researcher Wanda Elaine Hunt-McLean brings to life the challenges faced by runaway slaves being hunted in the swamp and explains why the inhospitable environment made it the perfect place to disappear. Through photographs and excavations of home sites, viewers will see how families lived completely within the borders of the dense foliage.

The program celebrates the role of the Great Dismal Swamp in the local economy, beginning as transportation route and continuing today as an attraction for tourists. Bland Simpson, author of The Great Dismal, takes us back to the earliest days in the swamp's history when George Washington first visited and became enchanted with its rugged beauty. The Honorable Harry Blevins, 14th Virginia Senatorial District and Chesapeake native, shares 8 mm film he recorded in the 1950s when his father-in-law worked in the swamp as a timberman.

The program wraps up with a look at the future when visitors will have easier access to the Great Dismal Swamp and the surrounding area. When the new Route 17 opens, the old Route 17 will be converted to a trail for visitors.

The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is located in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.  It includes over 111,000 acres of forested wetlands and Lake Drummond, a 3,100 acre natural lake.