And the winner is - Clippings - 'Silent Witnesses: America's Historic Trees' wins Telly Award - Brief Article

American Forests, Wntr, 2002

"Silent Witnesses: America's Historic Trees" is the recipient of a 2001 Telly award. The hour-long documentary, which premiered in the spring of 2000 on public television stations across the country, was produced by AMERICAN FORESTS and WJCT public television in Jacksonville, Florida.

Veteran actor James Whitmore narrates the film, which offers viewers a look at American history through the stories of trees linked to famous Americans or historic events. The film included interviews with descendants of Andrew Jackson, Frederick Douglass, and Civil War general George Pickett among others.

"It's truly an honor to win a Telly Award," says Jeff Meyer, director of AMERICAN FORESTS Historic Tree project. "Having both the public and television industry respond so favorably to the production is a real thrill."

It was the popularity of "Silent Witnesses" that prompted Meyer's upcoming PBS series, "Tree Stories" (see 'Good Things' at Mount Vernon," page 17).

The Telly Awards were founded in 1980 to showcase outstanding non-network and cable commercials and was later expanded to include film and video productions. In the past 21 years winners and finalists have come from a cross-section of agencies, production companies, television stations, and cable operations, as well as corporate video departments.

AMERICAN FORESTS' Historic Tree Nursery, located in Jacksonville, Florida, grows direct offspring of trees showcased in the film. The nursery propagates dozens of trees with direct connections to American history and famous citizens, among them presidents, African-Americans, native Americans, and notable women.

To learn about AMERICAN FORESTS' Historic Tree Nursery or to buy a historic tree, visit www.historictrees.org or call 800/320-TREE.