News Release

Hagerman Park Film Awarded First Place

News Release Date: December 16, 2022 HAGERMAN, Idaho – Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument’s park film “A Window Into the Past” won first place in the video category of the 2022 National Association for Interpretation (NAI) Interpretive Media Awards.  The award was announced on December 15 during an online awards ceremony hosted by NAI, a nonprofit association for professionals involved in the interpretation of natural and cultural heritage resources in parks, historical sites, museums, nature centers, zoos, and aquariums. 

The park film is a collaborative effort between Hagerman Fossil Beds, Orange Frame Productions of Richmond, VA, and Harpers Ferry Center for Media Services, the National Park Service’s nationwide hub for development of films, exhibits, publications, and other interpretive media. The film was completed in January 2021 and can be viewed online at https://www.nps.gov/hafo/learn/photosmultimedia/index.htm.  It will be shown regularly when the permanent exhibits are completed at Thousand Springs Visitor Center in Hagerman, Idaho. 

“A Window Into the Past” provides a virtual visit to the rich fossil beds found at Hagerman and provides behind-the-scenes footage of fieldwork, fossil preparation, and the park’s museum collection and laboratory.  Filmed in 4K ultra high definition, the film features stunning aerial footage of the monument, rarely seen historical images, an original music score, and 3D animation that helps explain how fossils are collected and preserved.

“This visually striking film does an amazing job of explaining the scientific research that began here in the 1930s by the Smithsonian Institution and the ongoing scientific research that continues today,” said Sandra Gladish, Director of Interpretation and Education at Hagerman Fossil Beds.  “The film explains how we obtain knowledge from Hagerman Fossil Beds to help us better understand and protect Idaho’s ancient history.”

Hagerman Fossil Beds is one of the few federally managed fossil sites specifically set aside for scientific research.  The only way visitors can view the fossil beds is from a distant overlook, and the best place to see fossils, besides the visitor center, is by watching “A Window Into the Past.”  The Thousand Springs Visitor Center is located at 17970 U.S. Hwy 30 in Hagerman, ID 83332.  Please check our website www.nps.gov/hafo for current visitor center hours.