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A documentary produced by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication science documentary television course will air Saturday (July 4) at 11 p.m. during the “North Carolina Visions” film festival on UNC-TV (North Carolina Public Television).

The 22-minute program – “Environmental Heroes” – profiles three North Carolinians who have worked to protect and improve the state’s environment: Dean Brooks of Goldston, Gary Grant of Tillery and Todd Miller of Newport.

Brooks, a former dairy farmer, started and runs one of the largest compost businesses in the southeastern United States. He and his family turn organic waste into profit while reducing garbage going into landfills.

Grant has worked for decades as a community activist to protect his black farming community from polluting industries such as corporate hog farms. He led the fight to institute a hog farm moratorium in North Carolina.

Miller is the founder and executive director of the North Carolina Coastal Federation in Newport. He has built one of the largest coastal protection organizations on the East Coast.

“It’s fitting that this documentary will air on the Fourth of July since the three North Carolinians who were profiled are true American heroes,” said Tom Linden, M.D., executive producer of the program and director of the school’s medical and science journalism program. Associate producers of the program are Jim Sander, documentary film producer and adjunct professor at High Point University, and Blair Pollock, environmental film producer and solid waste planner for Orange County.

Martin Brown of Treehouse Productions in Hillsborough was the videographer/editor with additional videography by George Bryant. Carrboro resident Chris Frank of the Red Clay Ramblers provided the music.

UNC students from the journalism school and the Gillings School of Global Public Health wrote and produced the three profiles. The segment producers include Jessica Hughes, Julea Steiner and Sander. Segment associate producers were Kathryn Barr, Jiang Li, Joseph Marra, Kevin McKenna, Emily Waters and Sarah Whitmarsh.

Scriptwriters included Kelly Chi, Julia Connors and Maggie De Pano. Animation was by Zachary Ferriola-Bruckenstein.

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