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The story of our National Parks is the story of America. Now, thanks to filmmaker Ken Burns, millions of Americans will have the opportunity to see for themselves how the National Parks belong to all of us.
Burns’ film, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” scheduled to air as a six-part series on PBS this fall, stems from the great democratic idea that our national parks belong to everyone. Beginning with the birth of the National Parks in the mid-1800s, the film tells the stories of some of America’s most symbolic and beautiful sites, and the people that helped create and preserve them.
Central to the Haas, Jr. Fund’s support of the film is the focus on the National Parks as spaces for all people to experience the transformative power of nature, to learn about the rich cultural history of the Parks and to become future stewards of these sites. Locally, grants from the Fund are focusing on helping transform two National Park sites in the San Francisco Bay Area, Crissy Field and the Presidio, making them more accessible and more welcoming to the entire community.
“The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” provides a unique opportunity to help catalyze a national conversation about the diverse people who have helped shape our National Parks as treasured resources for all Americans. In addition to supporting the film’s production, a portion of the grant went to a research effort, “Untold Stories,” aimed at highlighting the stories of people of color who have had significant impacts on the history of the Parks.
In addition, the Haas, Jr. Fund provided PBS with it’s largest-ever grant for a public outreach campaign. The goal: to invite and inspire audiences traditionally underserved by the National Parks.
The Haas, Jr. Fund outreach grant has allowed Burns, Co-Producer Dayton Duncan, and WETA, the public television station in Washington, D.C., to create an unprecedented campaign aimed at engaging diverse audiences. The campaign will include the publication of a book highlighting the fruits of the “Untold Stories” research; a 45-minute film, “The National Parks: This Is America,” which tells the story of the National Parks idea through a diverse cast of historical characters and brings the story closer to the present; and “mini-documentaries” which profile people of color and their involvement with the National Parks.
The campaign also includes lesson plans for schools, translation of the series for Spanish-speaking audiences, and grants for local PBS stations and National Park sites to launch their own outreach efforts.
To learn more, visit "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" on Facebook.
