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Union Station Arch (left). Credit: Elizabeth Grove

The National Parks: America's Best Idea

Airing on WETA Television in Fall 2009

Filmed over the course of more than six years at some of nature's most spectacular locales – from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska – The National Parks: America's Best Idea is nonetheless a story of people: people from every conceivable background – rich and poor; famous and unknown; soldiers and scientists; natives and newcomers; idealists, artists and entrepreneurs; people who were willing to devote themselves to saving some precious portion of the land they loved, and in doing so reminded their fellow citizens of the full meaning of democracy.

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Yosemite Valley in winter. Photo: QT Luong/terragalleria.com.

The National Parks (preview)

Preview of The National Parks: America's Best Idea, airing on TV 26 and WETA HD in Fall 2009, a co-production of Florentine Films and WETA.

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Photos from the series

Amidst grizzly bears, buffalo, antelope, alligators and egrets... upon glaciers, geysers, lakes and deserts... encountering nature in its most beautiful and extreme.

This is a story full of struggle and conflict, high ideals and crass opportunism, stirring adventure and enduring inspiration – set against the most breathtaking backdrops imaginable.

Special offer when pre-ordering the DVD

Receive an extra 15% off when you order through weta.org!

We're pleased to announce a special offer from ShopPBS. If you pre-order The National Parks: America's Best Idea DVD set and book, you'll receive the Bonus CD Soundtrack for free.

Plus, if you enter ShopPBS through weta.org, you'll receive an extra 15 percent discount on everything you buy AND a portion of your purchase will come back to WETA!

To receive the discount, enter the code MEMBER_15 at the checkout. (Please note that the code is case sensitive.) Type in the code in the box entitled "Using a promotional code?" and then click "Apply". A 15 percent discount will then be deducted from your subtotal (excluding shipping charges).

Go to ShopPBS »

Please note that these items will be shipped after their release date (by October 8, 2009).

A WETA co-production

The National Parks: America’s Best Idea is a production of Florentine Films and WETA Washington, D.C. The six-episode series is directed by Ken Burns and written and co-produced by Dayton Duncan.

Corporate funding for The National Parks: America’s Best Idea is provided by General Motors and Bank of America. Major funding is provided by the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund; Corporation for Public Broadcasting; The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; Park Foundation, Inc.; Public Broadcasting Service; National Park Foundation; The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation; and The Pew Charitable Trusts.