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A Force for Nature: Lucy Braun is a one-hour documentary that explores the life and legacies of Dr. E. Lucy Braun (1889 – 1971), one of the foremost botanists and ecologist in American history. Dr. Braun was a trailblazer in the emerging science of plant ecology, and a leader in the early conservation movement. In 1950, she published Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America, a landmark book that documented forest communities from Florida to Canada. An extraordinary woman of science, Braun helped to preserve natural spaces in Ohio and Kentucky, including the Edge of Appalachia Preserve System. “The documentary highlights the life of E. Lucy Braun, a groundbreaking 20th century scientist,” says Meg Hanrahan, the documentary’s writer, producer and director. “We think Dr. Braun should be better recognized for her role as one of the country’s first ecologists and for being a tireless advocate for preservation.” In addition to telling Lucy’s story, the program documents important history in ecology, tells the tale of the fate of many of our virgin forests, and illustrates the rewards of successful preservation of natural spaces.”

A Force for Nature: Lucy Braun is a co-production of Meg Hanrahan Media and Voyageur Media Group. The documentary is currently being distributed to national public television stations. Please use the blue navigation bars at the top of this page for more project information, or click on each these subject words: About (bios, background, advisors); Distribution (regional/national public television); Media Room (releases/images); Education (resources for educators); and DVD’s (order options and forms).

Project Headlines

Lucy is available for free viewing and download on Vimeo :

A Force for Nature: Lucy Braun is now available on Voyageur’s Vimeo Pro website for free viewing and download for non-commercial purposes. Click on the Vimeo link (left) for direct access.

Watch: Click on the Vimeo link (left) to play. < Click on “show controls” for more functions including screen expansion. Or, click on the V (Vimeo) icon to take you to the main Vimeo page for the program.

Download: Click on the V (Vimeo) icon to take you to the main Vimeo page for the program. Click on the X to get rid of the Vimeo (Join for Free) banner that covers the navigation panel. Click on the download icon. A pop-up window will appear with five download options. Recommended: 1080p highest resolution (download time 4-5 minutes, mp4 format, 2.13 GB).

Educational Materials: The production team and staff members from the Cincinnati Museum Center’s Edge of Appalachia Preserve System have completed free, downloadable educational materials designed to enhance classroom use of A Force for Nature: Lucy Braun.  See the Education page on this website for more information, including an Education Media Release, and “A Force for Education: E. Lucy Braun’s Legacy Lessons,” a special article about how the educational materials were developed. Or, go directly to the Dr. E. Lucy Braun educational website of the Edge of Appalachia Preserve System.

National Distribution: A Force for Nature: Lucy Braun is available on over 100 public television stations throughout the U.S. via the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA); a major distribution network within public television. WOSU (Columbus) is serving as the documentary’s presenting station under the leadership of Stacia Hentz, TV Program Director, WOSU. See the Media Room for more information.

Regional broadcasts: A Force for Nature: Lucy Braun has been provided to the following regional public television stations for broadcast and streaming. Please see station websites for more information: CET (Greater Cincinnati); Think TV (Greater Dayton); WOSU (Greater Columbus); and KET (Kentucky).

Facebook Site: 

Visit A Force for Nature: Lucy Braun on Facebook (click on icon).  

This is a great resource for news, events and screenings about the program.

Home DVDs

 A Force for Nature: Lucy Braun is now available as a home DVD for viewers, teachers and students.

Please click here to download our DVD order form (widescreen version).

 

 

Support Media

Trailer: A Force for Nature: Lucy Braun

Watch our preview of this compelling documentary (7:13 minutes)

 

 

Promo: A Force for Nature: Lucy Braun

Here’s our 30 second promotional spot for regional ptv stations.

 

Braun Photograph Preservation Project

“Behind-the-scenes” video (6:40 minutes)

Learn how five organizations in Greater Cincinnati combined their resources to preserve, conserve and digitize over 1,700 photographs from the Annette and E. Lucy Braun Photographic Collection (see news articles and links about project below).This preservation project is made possible by The Anness Family Charitable Fund.

 

Project Support

We are so grateful to all of our funders:

Major Donors: $22,000-$25,000

  • Meshewa Farm Foundation.
  • Ohio Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Generous Support: $10,000-$12,000

  • Anness Family Charitable Fund.
  • Alan B. Lindner Family Fund.

Generous Support: $4,000-$9,999

  • Camden Foundation.
  • The Nature Conservancy in Ohio.
  • Cincinnati Museum Center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Support: $1,000-$3,999

  • Mr. and Mrs. H.C. Buck Niehoff.
  • Motch Family Foundation, Inc.
  • The Indian Hill Garden Club.
  • University of Cincinnati College of Arts and Sciences
  • Hope Taft.
  • Amy Banister & Carl Stich.
  • The Cincinnati Wild Flower Preservation Society.
  • The Midwest Native Plant Society, Inc.
  • Other donors supporting the project include: Judy & Francis Ganance, Chris Bedel & Suzanne Chouteau, Upstream 360, Christine Hadley, Barb & Mort Nicholson, Polly Whittaker, Elizabeth Huey, Scott & Michele Beuerlein, Dan & Molly Kenney, Robert & Margaret Henn, Steve & Ann Bobonick, Steve & Pam Inglish, Lisa Haglund MD, and the GE Foundation Matching Gifts Program.