America's National Parks

I started watching this on a Saturday morning (on Disney+) hoping to see some lovely scenery and learn about ways to experience our national parks. Unfortunately what I got was a slaughter fest of "the circle of life". Episode 1 on Olympic National Park focused on orcas killing sea lions, orcas killing grey whale calves, bears eating salmon, river otters eating salmon and on and on. Decided to skip to episode 2, Yosemite and after just 30 seconds or so of beautiful scenery we back to bobcats and coyotes hunting and killing things. I understand that predators have to kill to eat and that's how life works. But in this case the film makers seemed to go out of their way to focus almost exclusively on death. Not the calm pleasant tour of our National Parks I was expecting or hoping for. Big disappointment.

The Grand Canyon episode was pretty good.

The one on the Smokies was dumb. Not enough about the beauty of the scenery and things to do & see... too much about one family of bears. Told us about how they relocated Manitoban elk to the park, then used this transplanted elk as an example that "you can come home again." Odd. The worst part was describing fish laying eggs as "an orgy" ... weird and ridiculous.

In the first three-minutes alone, orcas are pronounces as killer whales. Although technically correct, these creatures are not that. The portrayal of them as such plays a huge downfall in conservation efforts. Not only that, but it makes people fear the seas instead of seeing them as the beautiful, magnificent, alien worlds that they are.

Careful portrayal of animals plays a critical part in preservation and conservation, so understanding how a movie affects viewers beliefs should have come into play when making this series.

The concept behind helping people learn about a variety of animals in the National Parks is great, but the way in which they are depicted is not.

The thing that ruins this series for me is the constant BS the narrator with an annoying voice tells you to try to amp the tension, but it obviously didn't happen otherwise they'd show it.

Example: "Against all odds, this little chick escaped harm and learned its first lesson in survival" intercut clips of a predator minding its own business and chick chillin on a rock, probably shot at a different time.

There are documentaries that capture amazing footage, and then there's this series, edited like lazy reality tv.

You know, when you sit back and complain about things, about the state of our country and all of the things that need fixing, it does you good to take a step back and say to yourself "well somebody must be doing things right because we have so many things that are the envy of the world!"

The National Parks system is a reminder to us that there are (although it's increasingly rare these days) altruistic people who do enter public life and work for the good of the people! It's not a long list for sure and I'm scratching my head to find any other than Roosevelt who have given as much benefit to the American public.. This documentary shows that there are many heroes whose praise has gone unsung, only because the work they did seemed to be formalizing the natural rights of Americans. Thank goodness these protagonists came together at the right time and the right places. If not, the entire areas would be in the hands of privateers, stripped of any value, whether animal, vegetable or mineral, to be left as vast scarred wastelands for eternity. The story is, as you would expect, masterfully told by Burns, weaving into the political battle the aching beauty and restorative power of our National Parks.

The filming and commentary somehow reawakens the overpowering feelings you experienced when you yourself were standing on a Rockies promontory or walking through a Utah sandstone desert. This is a true tour-de- force of storytelling, history and filmmaking. Burns is every bit as awe-inspiring as the parks themselves