© 2026 The Couch Critic
Status
Released
Release
2016
Runtime
56m
Available options inUS
"The story of how the American conservation movement was launched."
When millionaire George Vanderbilt decided to build his dream house in Asheville, he hired landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted to design the grounds and gardens of the sprawling estate. German forester Carl Schenck was hired to manage the forest and demonstrate sustainability. Explore the story of Schenck’s work at the Biltmore Estate and its impact on the American conservation movement.
13 Cast Members
James G. Lewis
Self-Historian
Char Miller
Self - Historian
Carlyle Franklin
Self - Forester
Chuck Leavell
Self - Tree Farmer/Musician
Ron Rash
Self - Writer
Rob Neufeld
Self - Historian
Ellen Rickman
Self - Historian
Kevin Ude
Carl Schenck
Peter Van Rijssen
George W. Vanderbilt
Jeffrey Alexander
Gifford Pinchot
Wayne Wheeler
Frederick Law Olmsted
Neill Clark
Older Carl Schenck
Brad Davidorf
Narrator (voice)