South Dakota

DVD. In South Dakota they don't just carve stone, they carve entire mountains! In the Black Hills, Mt. Rushmore is one of the great icons of America. A few miles away, is a work in progress, The Crazy Horse Memorial. The dreams of man manifested by the determination of a single family's hard work & perseverance. One of the greatest events of the year, takes place in Custer State Park. The annual Buffalo Roundup attracts over 8000 spectators to watch the display of cowboys on horseback (and in a wide variety of other vehicles) herd 1500 of the stubborn beasts to the pens for sorting, vaccination and potential sale. Once out of the Black Hills among the prairies is ranching and farming country. A must see is Wall Drug in Wall, the Pioneer Auto Show in Murdo, Hansen Carriages in Letcher, Laura Ingalls Wilder's childhood home in De Smet, Terry Redlin Art Gallery in Watertown and the Corn Palace in Mitchell. October is pheasant season, a monument to which is the World's Largest Pheasant in Huron, which is also home to "the city of murals". Pheasant hunters from all over flock to this area to pursue the state bird, the Chinese ring neck pheasant.

DVD. Nature Parks. In the southwest of the state of South Dakota is a mysterious-looking landscape that is rugged, sparse and a surreal-looking desert of rock that is colorfully known as the Badlands. For around 500,000 years, the forces of wind, air and water have gradually shaped the mighty rocks that appear like huge walls across the Badlands. In some places, the rock walls look like miniature mountains and everywhere one looks, there are fascinating rock formations. In addition, it is the many colors contained within the rock that also focus the attention. Conversely, the Badlands Prairie features a large variety of grasses that are only to be found in this region of North America. Between the scattered rocks are a total of 56 varieties of grass that combine to form an ecological system that is unique in the world. Paleontologists also benefit from the weather beaten terrain of South Dakota as the southwest region also features several fossil excavation sites. Remains of the original ancestors of the horse, the Mesohippus, have been discovered in the Badlands as well as the petrified bones of carnivores such as the Creodonten and various now-extinct turtles. Badlands may be its name but in no way does it describe the unspoiled magnificence of its truly unique and spectacular scenery.

Nature Wonders. 10 Minutes. The Badlands of South Dakota, in the western region of the U.S.A., is a mysterious and hostile area that originated 80 million years ago when it was covered by a shallow ocean. Today, it is difficult to believe that this barren landscape was once fertile pastureland and home to a large number of prehistoric animals. It is only in a few areas where the soil is compact and contains a thin layer of humus that plants are able to grow and recreate the splendor of the region's meadows of ancient times. The Sioux Indians, who once lived in this area, called it `Mako Sica', `The Bad Land'. The Badlands have also proven to be important for paleontologists. The first people to discover bones here were the Lakota Indians and in the middle of the 19th century the region's skulls, bones and fossils also caught the attention of various European settlers. The outstanding Badlands of South Dakota not only boast a remarkable landscape but without a doubt, are also extremely important for the conservation of wildlife.

DVD. Global Treasures. 10 Minutes. Set within the Black Hills in the state of South Dakota is one of the most famous landmarks in the U.S.A., the Mount Rushmore National Memorial: four monumental portraits of the most famous American presidents that have been carved into the granite and symbolize a kind of spectacular tribute to democracy. Since their unveiling in 1941 the huge faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln have created a good deal of interest. The area around Mount Rushmore is also most striking as the Black Hills' mountain range is a masterpiece of nature. Twenty five kilometres south west of Mount Rushmore another stone image towers up from the landscape, the Crazy Horse Memorial. Created in 1947 it commemorates the famous chief of the Oglala Sioux. Its dimensions are even larger than those of Mount Rushmore and when completed it will be a hundred and ninety five metres long and a hundred and seventy two metres high! But the Mount Rushmore area is far more than just a symbol of American history. It is also steeped in the rich culture and traditions of North America's native Indians.