National Parks Are Gifts To The Future That Say, “This Is Who We Were, This Is What We Loved.”

Hello Classmates,

When this series came out last year, I watched it in full as part of some serious bonding time with my new brother-in-law.

At this point in the semester, however, I don't have twelve free hours so I decided to watch Episode 6: "The Morning of Creation" again. In a way this episode seems the most relevant to this course because it deals with the tricky balancing act between the preservation and the use of our National Parks that has been played out since the end of WWII when most Americans gained access to cars, cheap gas, and the desire to go.

The relationship between preservation and use seems especially pertinent because in order to conduct our field expeditions we have to use natural spaces. We travel on roads to get into these natural spaces and once there read and photograph all of the signs telling us about them. We are using them ourselves and yet (more often than not) comment with a mourning tone on how "used up" they are are in our field notes. Granted our notes often bemoan the type of use that alters the natural space with its cement, trails, and trash. We never leave those things behind! It makes me wonder whether an unspoken hierarchy of use is at play here.

Founding National Park conservationists felt as though scientific research should be the main use and basis of all policy and management decisions. In our excursions, we’re not conducting scientific research but neither are we tourists. What specific use do natural spaces have for us? To entertain? To inspire? Does anyone think we should not use them but just preserve them?I’m curious to know what you all think.

This episode begins and ends with wolves. As a new UNM LOBO, I loved the beautiful footage of those leggy, bushy-tailed wild things slinking across Yellowstone's snow-filled meadows. The history of the wolf at Yellowstone from its near extinction (despite Adolf Murie's fervent preservation efforts) to its successful reintroduction is Burns' self-fulfilling (hopefully) prophecy for all of our special places- our nature sanctuaries. I think Burns is hoping that as the wolf in Yellowstone proves, a fair compromise can and will be made between preserving the National Parks exactly as they are and using the parks for our own enjoyment and betterment.

Laurel

p.s. I was intrigued by the notion that our National Parks are one of our greatest exports. Along with Coca-Cola, Levis, and The Simpson, the world is a better place because of us.

p.p.s. To those of you who watched "The Morning of Creation," wouldn't Lancelot Jones been a marvelous person to know?!