Discoveries…America: National Parks—Yellowstone

This high-definition-filmed entry from Bennett-Watt's Discoveries…America: National Parks series captures the beauty of Yellowstone—America's oldest national park—during spring and winter, focusing on the splendors of well-known sights such as the geyser Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, as well as the abundant wildlife, including bison, grizzly bears, wolves, and elk. Archival photographs, contemporary footage, narration, and park ranger commentary combine to tell the story from Yellowstone's founding in 1872 (when portions of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming were set aside) up through the present day, with as many as 3 million visitors coming to the sprawling site each year. Interesting tidbits (bison are capable of running as fast as a horse for short distances, the historic Old Faithful Inn is the largest log hotel in the United States, etc.) are sprinkled throughout, and some unique aspects of tourism at Yellowstone are mentioned, such as cars lined up due to “bear jams” when the animals amble across a road. Not surprisingly, striking contrasts are seen between the two seasons filmed here, with spring revealing a green landscape and activities such as bison calving, while winter finds deep snows blanketing the area—limiting human access, except for those traveling via snowshoes, cross-country skis, snowmobiles, or “snow coaches.” As with other entries in the Discoveries… collection, the videography is superb throughout. Recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block)