Watch: "The National Parks: America's Best Idea"

Documentary

This 2-time, Emmy Award-winning documentary is not only a story about the history of the national parks, but also the people responsible for preserving and maintaining these previous pieces of land. It details the formation of the parks and dives into the impacts tourism has had. The six-part series, filmed over the course of six years, highlights the beauty and wonder of America’s natural world, and encourages us to appreciate the beauty in our own backyard. 

When asked why we need the national parks, Ken Burns responded:

“...because they're good for our sanity and our health, to have some places in which we've arrested the march of "progress." Now, most of what we do in the name of progress is pretty darned good, but we preserve species, we preserve these magnificent places and we need to have them. They're like anchors. When we say "My country 'tis of thee" – it's my country – are we talking about city streets? Are we talking about industrial cities? No. We're talking about the land we have and there's so very little of it that's unspoiled or that doesn't have a fence through it."

"Here in these special places that we've resolved together as a people to preserve, we feel a sense of commonality. You come to a national park and all of a sudden some of the barriers between people, between classes, even between nationalities are broken down and you share and have the experience of an essential, collective humanity. That's a pretty good thing in a world whose major direction is sort of quisitive and extractive.”

Available to watch on PBS.

Photo Source: PBS

Syllogi’s ‘Musings’ is a series helping you paint a picture of a destination while traveling from your living room. From relevant books and articles, inspiring movies and tv shows, to songs and even treats and dishes, our goal is to curate a sensory experience that will prepare you for an upcoming trip, reminiscence on adventures past, or simply to envision a place that exists in your bucket list fantasies.