(NEWARK, NJ) -- NJ PBS, New Jersey’s public television network, announced two new upcoming episodes of its documentary series, Treasures of New Jersey, featuring the Peter Mott House in Lawnside and the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Morris County. The series pays homage to some of the Garden State’s most iconic places, from historic landmarks and cultural centers to popular destinations.
Treasures of New Jersey: The Peter Mott House premieres Wednesday, May 25 at 8:30pm on NJ PBS (check local listings). Watch a trailer here. The Great Swamp episode will air on June 29 at 8:30pm on NJ PBS (check local listings). Narrating both episodes is former NJ Spotlight News correspondent, WNYC Morning Edition host, and New Jersey native, Michael Hill.
Treasures of New Jersey: The Peter Mott House spotlights the historic significance of this property in Camden County, whose mid-19th century freedom-fighter owners were instrumental in helping enslaved people who were headed North to freedom in the days of the Underground Railroad. The Great Swamp episode showcases the beloved wildlife refuge in suburban Morris County, established in 1960. Countless species make their home within its more than 7,000 acres, and hundreds of volunteers are partnering with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to make it more accessible for years to come.
“The goal of the Treasures of New Jersey series is to showcase some of the Garden State’s most fascinating places,” said NJ PBS General Manager Joe Lee. “While the subjects of these two new episodes outwardly may seem to vary, a slavery-era home and a wildlife refuge, they both represent an aspect of New Jersey’s rich history and landscape that communities are vested in preserving for future generations.”
“I love exploring the nuances of these Treasures of New Jersey subjects,” says filmmaker Sally Garner. “We examine the historic, cultural backstories and almost-forgotten details that make them unique and tell their stories through the people closest to them. We embrace the past of these places by encapsulating them for the future.”
Earlier episodes of the Treasures of New Jersey series featured the stories of the State Theatre in New Brunswick and Fairleigh Dickinson University- Florham. Watch episodes and previews on the Treasures of New Jersey page of MyNJPBS.org.
Treasures of New Jersey is a production of Public Media NJ, Inc. for The WNET Group. Joe Lee is Executive in Charge. Sally Garner is Executive Producer and Writer.
Treasures of New Jersey follows in the footsteps of The WNET Group’s popular local series, Treasures of New York. That series, which premiered in 2011, has profiled over 50 institutions across New York.
NJ PBS, New Jersey's public television network, brings quality arts, education, and public affairs programming to all 21 counties in the state. Headquartered at the Agnes Varis NJ PBS Studio in Newark, with additional studio space at New Jersey City University, the network offers diverse local programs including American Songbook at NJPAC, Chat Box with David Cruz, NJ Business Beat with Rhonda Schaffler, Here's the Story, Drive By History, One-on-One with Steve Adubato, Reporters Roundtable with David Cruz, State of the Arts and Treasures of New Jersey and PBS favorites such as Nature, NOVA, Amanpour and Company and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Its award-winning newsroom provides multiplatform reporting from across the Garden State on its weeknight newscast, NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi, and digitally via NJSpotlightNews.org, plus live news specials, roundtable discussions and daily newsletters. The MyNJPBS.org network website offers streaming programs and free digital resources for educators via PBS LearningMedia New Jersey. NJ PBS is operated under an agreement with the state of New Jersey by Public Media NJ, Inc. (PMNJ), a non-profit affiliate of The WNET Group, parent company of award-winning New York public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21.