Matt McKinney, a doctoral candidate for Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management and Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and the Environment, directed production.
“The video is a tool for the state park to educate and promote the trails and breathtaking waterfalls,” McKinney said. “Personally, I hope the video will encourage and entice folks to step away from technology and enjoy the outdoors. My experience and research suggests that when we spend time in nature, this often results in a connection with the environment that not only enriches our lives, but also leads to pro-environmental behavior and a willingness to help protect finite natural resources.”
Ben Stone, park manager at Ricketts Glen, said the virtual tour shows potential hikers what to expect before hitting the trails, which feature sights like the 94-foot Ganoga Fall. For those who do not intend to hike at Ricketts Glen, the video provides an alternative way to get an up-close look at the falls.
“This can help people prepare better for the hike by understanding the physical demands it will require, while being beneficial to the visitors who didn’t plan to hike or maybe did hike it 30 years ago,” Stone said. “They can still enjoy the beauty, both sights and sounds, of the waterfalls and the Glens.”
Ricketts Glen has hiking trails for all ages and abilities from the most difficult being the falls trail to the Beach Trail, which skirts the edge of the 245-acre Lake Jean. The Falls Trail System is a physically demanding trail with steep inclines and declines and uneven terrain requiring proper footwear, Stone said.
The videography took place at the park over three days in May. McKinney spent roughly 80 hours editing and revising the video, which the state park system approved and published in October 2014.
With prior experience as a videographer for news agencies, McKinney used a specialized set up with a Glidecam that allowed him to capture ultra-smooth hiking video along the trail. The set up required McKinney to wear 25 pounds of equipment while hiking up and down steep, rocky terrain. To physically prepare for the video shoot, he trained by hiking at Mount Nittany in Centre County with the stabilizing equipment during the months leading up to the video shoot.
“This was a seamless, successful collaboration between Penn State and Pennsylvania State Parks,” McKinney said. “On a personal level, this project afforded me the opportunity to combine my academic and professional interests. As an aspiring applied researcher, I am always looking for a way to bridge the gap between academia and outdoor experiences. No matter what your expertise, I think it’s important for students and faculty to seek collaborative opportunities that benefit the community. Not only is it personally rewarding, but fulfills Penn State’s mission to ‘provide unparalleled access and public service to support the citizens of the Commonwealth.’”