Discovery Channel's "Dual Survival" to Feature Maine Public-Reserved Land, State Park as Backdrop

AUGUSTA, Maine - Some of the most beautiful and wild coastland in Maine will be featured tomorrow night on Discovery Channel's unique survival show, "Dual Survival."

The Friday night television show, which focuses on how well two survival experts manage in challenging situations, was shot early this spring at Cutler Coast Public Reserved Land Unit and Quoddy Head State Park, both properties managed by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, under the Maine Department of Conservation.

The episode, which is called "Road to Nowhere " and which will be aired at 9 p.m., Friday, on the Discovery Channel, features survival experts Cody Lundin and Dave Canterbury in a not-so-uncommon Maine scenario.

According to the program's official website, the challenge is:

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  "In the isolated woods of Northern Maine, Cody and Dave take on the role of two travelers, lost and out of gas on an abandoned logging road. Their only resource is a broken down truck which they pillage for all it's worth including a can of dog food."

"We are very pleased that this program chose to showcase one of the extraordinary coastal landscapes of Maine," Tom Morrison, BPL director of operations, said. "We hope that viewers all around the country will enjoy what they see of this special region of Washington County."

Cutler Coast, known as the "Bold Coast," is a 12,234-acre region consisting of blueberry barrens, woodlands, and peat lands, with 4.5 miles of headlands interspersed by pocket coves and cobble beaches overlooking the Bay of Fundy. There are 10 miles of trails, three remote tent sites and incredible views from steep cliffs.

Quoddy Head State Park, located near Lubec, encompasses 541 acres at the tip of the easternmost peninsula in the U.S. It features iconic West Quoddy Head lighthouse and five miles of scenic trails overlooking Quoddy Channel, which divides the U.S. and Canada.

The popular "Dual Survivor" show is in its second season, and Friday night's program is the season closer. The episode was filmed during one week in this past April after the New York production company, CCCM Projects LLC, received special permission from the bureau to use the two properties.

"They shot in April, so they certainly had some bugs and bad weather to deal with," Chuck Simpson, BPL regional land manager, said, recalling a terrific rainstorm storm that blasted the region at the week that the program was taped. The production crew "actually got stuck on a road and had to get some locals to help pull them out," he said.

Among the activities for the episode listed by the company were: construct a shelter using natural resources; collect firewood and build a campfire; and hunt for edibles, including shellfish and small game.

"One of the first things they wanted to do was to burn a tire off the truck and set up a smoke signal," Simpson said, hinting at some of the show's action.

This is the second time this year that production companies have chosen Maine state parks, historic sites and public-reserved lands for shooting television episodes. Earlier this year, SyFy Channel shot an episode of "Ghost Hunters" at Fort Knox State Historic Site in Prospect. An episode of PBS's "History Detectives" also was shot at Fort McClary State Historic Site and will air later in July.

For more information about Maine state parks and historic sites, go to: http://www.parksandlands.com">http://www.parksandlands.com ###