REES Theatre Launches "Experience Indiana Like Never Before" Film Series in Partnership with Marshall County Soil & Water Conservation District

Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 11:00 PM

By Kathy Bottorff

The REES Theatre is inviting the community to take a closer look at the stories, landscapes, and people of Indiana through a new film series launching this month. "Experience Indiana Like Never Before" is presented in partnership with the Marshall County Soil & Water Conservation District and highlights the importance of conservation, sustainability, and the region's natural beauty.

The series kicks off this Thursday, May 21st, with the screening of Everglades of the North: The Story of the Grand Kankakee Marsh — a documentary that explores the history of one of North America's largest wetlands and its profound impact on Northern Indiana.

The film takes viewers through the remarkable and largely untold story of the Grand Kankakee Marsh. This ecological landscape was once home to some of the highest concentrations of wildlife on the planet. Using expert interviews, high-definition wildlife footage, historic never-before-seen photographs, and dramatic recreations, the documentary paints a vivid picture of a marsh so teeming with waterfowl that they once literally blackened the sky.

But the film also traces the costly toll of industrialization on the marsh, as those who sought to profit from its seemingly endless natural resources dramatically altered the landscape. Today, less than five percent of the Grand Kankakee Marsh has survived. Yet the film offers a hopeful outlook, highlighting a renewed effort to restore part of what was lost as understanding of wetlands' critical environmental role continues to grow.

The film series will continue next month with a screening of Kiss the Ground on Thursday, June 18th.

All films begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be followed by a live question-and-answer session. Admission is free, though tickets are encouraged to reserve seating. Tickets can be reserved through Eventbrite.