The film chronicles Tampa Bay’s transformation from a relatively unspoiled paradise in the 1950s, to a waterway battered by pollution in the 1970s, to its amazing rebirth and recovery beginning some 25 years ago and continuing today.

“Tampa Bay: Living Legacy” features interviews with scientists, elected officials and citizens, including well-known Floridians such as former Governor of Florida Bob Martinez, the Mayors of both Tampa and St. Petersburg, and former State Education Commissioner Betty Castor. Compelling archival images help tell the bay’s story, along with extensive new footage showcasing the extraordinary beauty of the bay’s habitats and inhabitants.

The film also pays homage to early bay advocates such as Roger Stewart, former head of Hillsborough’s Environmental Protection Commission, who was fired by the county in the 1970s for his outspoken criticism of sewage dumping in the bay, and rehired after a CBS “60 Minutes” piece exposed the severe pollution of the bay. Subsequent state legislation co-sponsored by former Rep. Mary Figg (also featured in the film) required all governments discharging sewage to Tampa Bay to utilize advanced treatment methods – a crucial change that sparked the bay’s dramatic turnaround.

“Tampa Bay: Living Legacy” provides a living history of the bay’s evolution over time. Two-thirds of Bay Area residents did not live here 25 years ago when these early bay champions were working to save the bay. The film’s sponsors hope the film will inspire today’s residents, and future generations, to sustain their legacy.

The film is narrated by Patrick Wilson, a Broadway and film star who has appeared in “Phantom of the Opera,” “Oklahoma” and “The Full Monty.” Patrick grew up in St. Petersburg, where his father, John, is a longtime local news anchor.

“Tampa Bay: Living Legacy” was broadcast in 2006 on both Tampa area PBS stations, WEDU-TV and WUSF-TV. It also has been shown extensively on government access stations throughout the Tampa Bay area.