History Of America's National Parks

Did you know that former president Gerald R. Ford was a ranger at Yellowstone National Park (which begs the question, if an ex-President falls in the woods....)? Did you know that the money behind the lobbying efforts to create our parks came from Western railroads, which had invested in them as tourist destinations? These are just a couple of the interesting revelations in this well crafted and very informative historical examination of our national parks. Not afraid to reveal the growing pains of our nation in its attitudes towards wilderness, this program takes a hard look at the misguided efforts to hunt down and eradicate species thought to be dangerous to tourists, as well as the attempts to control wildfires to preserve park beauty. It also profiles famous people who were instrumental in creating an awareness of the inestimable value of wild places, from well known figures like Muir, Emerson and Thoreau, to more obscure but equally important personalities. The impacts of war, pollution, the '60s, and automobiles are also covered in this 30 minute tape which could easily have added an additional hour and maintained the same interest level. While other tapes may offer more beautiful filmic overviews of the parks, few discuss the historical issues surrounding wilderness management in a more clear and cogent manner. Highly recommended. Aud: J, H, C, P. (R. Ray)