Celebrating our Public Lands: Oct. 21 Screening Event to Feature Films starring Chuck Leavell
Double feature showing at Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Denver, CO (Sept. 27, 2021) – On Thursday, Oct. 21, forestry partners, advocates and guests are invited to attend a special evening celebrating the importance of our public lands and recognizing the significance of individuals and organizations in their stewardship. The event will screen two short feature films and episodes that highlight accomplishments in their conservation and care, including Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man and America’s Forests with Chuck Leave celebrates the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.
The Oct. 21 event will take place from 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Following the screenings, a fireside chat will be held to discuss “What’s Happening on Colorado’s Forests”, moderated by Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources, and featuring Bud Wudtke, Executive Director Intermountain Forest Association, Jacqueline Buchanan Deputy Regional Forester Region 2 US Forest Service, and Greg Nelson, Mayor of Ouray, Colorado. The event is free and open to the public, with registration required at chooseoutdoorsscreening.eventbrite.com. The event also will be offered virtually.
Chuck Leavell may be best known as the keyboardist and musical director for The Rolling Stones, but he is also an educated and enthusiastic forestry advocate, conservationist and tree farmer. The first film of the evening, Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man, shows how he divides his talents between music, forests and family.
Leavell also is host of the made for TV series, America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell. He serves as the on-camera guide, traveling across the country to interview people who are passionate about the gifts we receive from our forests as part of the national TV series, The second showing is an episode from the series that shines a light on the 50-year tradition in which the USDA Forest Service provides a tree for the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building during the holidays. The 2020 tree was provided by the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) on the Western Slope of Colorado. Leavell follows the journey – from selection and cutting to ornament making and community celebrations – as the Tree makes its way from Colorado to Washington, D.C. Leavell also learns about the multiple uses of this winter wonderland by sharing adventures and hearing from staff from the USDA Forest Service.
“The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is a mechanism for the nation to come together during this magical time of year and to celebrate one of our most treasured resources”, said Leavell. “Whether for building or for recreation, our forests are good for the economy and for the spirit.”
The series is produced by Choose Outdoors and 42 Degrees North Media and the special episode is made possible with generous support from the USDA Forest Service, STIHL Inc. and Red Wing Shoes. The episode first premiered on Rocky Mountain PBS and rmpbs.org and the special screening event held with generous support from Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
About the Series
America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell captures the breadth of our nation’s woodlands – both public and private. It features stories that demonstrate how important forest habitats are to the well-being and economic health of communities across the country and presents individuals who embody this passion for the woods, from architects to artists, from climbers to carpenters. Episodes featuring Oregon, Colorado, South Carolina, California and Wisconsin are available on PBS stations nationwide and online at
www.americasforestswithchuckleavell.com.
About Chuck Leavell
Chuck Leavell is one of a kind. His musical career includes work with The Rolling Stones, but also with Eric Clapton, The Allman Brothers Band, John Mayer and a host of others. AND he is acclaimed as a conservationist, environmentalist, author and tree farmer. After studying forestry by correspondence and doing much of his homework while riding a tour bus with the Fabulous Thunderbirds in the mid ‘80s, Chuck and wife Rose Lane Leavell turned her family’s plantation near Macon, GA, into what has become a textbook and award-winning tree farm. He is also the co-founder of The Mother Nature Network www.mnn.com, the world’s leading environmental website.
About the USDA Forest Service
The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land; provides assistance to state and private landowners; and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation’s clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. For more information, see www.fs.fed.us.
About Choose Outdoors
Choose Outdoors works to increase all American’s enjoyment, appreciation and support for outdoor recreation activities that connect them to our public lands. These connections will ensure that our public lands will always be there for future generations to cherish. For more information, visit chooseoutdoors.org.
