National Parks Exploration Series: Great Smoky Mountains

Werner Herzog's documentary film about the "Grizzly Man" Timothy Treadwell and what the thirteen summers in a National Park in Alaska were like in one man's attempt to protect the grizzly bears. The film is full of unique images and a look into the spirit of a man who sacrificed himself for nature.

After many years of careful conservation, Banff and Jasper National Parks have become vast zoological gardens. Deer, moose, bear, big-horn sheep, birds and small animals that live above the treeline are natural subjects for the close-up camera, with a backdrop of snowy peaks.

This Traveltalk series short starts off in Denver, capital of Colorado. Known as a recreational and health center, it is noted for its beautiful parks. The Museum of Natural History has specimens of local animal life. About an hour's drive from Denver on Lookout Mountain is the grave of Col. William Cody, 'Buffalo Bill', known as a scout and a plainsman. In Colorado Springs, there is a monument to the great American humorist Will Rogers who loved the stretches of open country. Much of the mountain area of Colorado is owned by the Federal government as national forest and there are many well stocked trout streams. In Mesa Verde National Park you will find the cave dwellings once used by Native Americans.

Hunters have disappeared from wildlands without a trace for hundreds of years. David Paulides presents the haunting true stories of hunters experiencing the unexplainable in the woods of North America.

Filmed over 23 years, Rise of the Warrior Apes tells the epic story of an extraordinary troop of chimpanzees in Ngogo, Uganda – featuring four mighty warriors who rule through moral ambiguity, questionable politics, strategic alliances and destroyed trust.

This short documentary by Bill Mason explores Pukaskwa National Park on Lake Superior, providing a background of the park's geological past and plant life. The film also shows scenes of hiking, canoeing and camping. The result is to put us back in touch with the natural elements that our ancestors both fought and enjoyed.

Maya, la tigresse du Maharashtra

The San Francisco Foundation 2013 Community Leadership Awards presents Greg Moore, president and CEO of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, with the Robert C. Kirkwood Award, made to an individual in recognition of outstanding community service, commitment, and inspired leadership. Greg has been instrumental in the conversion of historic military posts into vibrant national parklands, the restoration of Crissy Field, the creation of an extensive trail system, and programs to engage diverse communities in park stewardship and education. In 2012, Greg led the creation of a new partnership with the Golden Gate Bridge District and National Park service to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the bridge and transform the visitor experience at this world famous destination. Under Greg's direction, the Parks Conservancy has provided nearly $300 million in support to the Golden Gate National Parks. www.sff.org/cla

By using special cameras and techniques, David Fortney has captured the beauty of these parks in ways never seen before. Fluid, masterful camera work and serial photography gives you the sensation of soaring over and through the landscape.

There is no place on the planet like the Everglades. This installment of the National Parks Exploration Series takes you to where two great biomes of life meet: the tropical and the temperate mid-latitude, which makes up much of the continental US.

Take a thrilling journey to four of the greatest national treasures of Europe and Africa. Walk along the misty shores of Ireland's rocky northern coast to experience the legendary Giant's Causeway. Search for elusive mountain gorillas in Uganda's lush Impenetrable Forest. Climb the stunning snow-capped peaks of Italy's timeless Alps to discover the regal ibex in Gran Paradiso National Park. Behold the spectacle of thundering herds of migrating wildebeest, zebra and gazelle on Africa's fabled Serengeti Plains.

Kluane National Park is situated in the Yukon area of northern Canada and is a research paradise for glaciologists, geologists and other scientists. Mountaineers come to scale the impressive heights. Animals are free to roam, protected by stringent legislation. This film reveals many facets of this beautiful park, which has been declared a protected zone by UNESCO.

Huelva, Spain, an isolated region lost in time. The grass, the sand and the sky are the same that those foreigners saw in the spring of 1895, when they crossed the sea from a distant country to mark the unspoiled terrain and extract its wealth, when the tower was new, when people could climb to the top of the highest dune and imagine that the city of Tartessos was still there, in the distance, almost invisible in the morning brume.

Nestled in the heart of America s great plains are contrasting tastes of a sacred land that beckons the visitor to enter the nation's mysterious and glorious West. A land of soaring pinnacles, deep canyons, hidden caves, national monuments and countless wildlife sanctuaries. It is also the place of the inglorious death of famed gunslinger, Wild Bill Hickok and the most sacred spot for the Lakota Sioux. Enjoy breathtaking aerial views and amazing tours with park rangers. Discover the wonder and awe of these contrasting spectacles of the West, one soaring, rich in forest and water and other barren and deeply eroded, which are brought to together by a shared geology and history. They are the Gateway to the Great American West. They are the Black Hills and the Badlands.

On March 1, 1872 President Ulysses S. Grant signed into existence the world's first national park, Yellowstone National Park. The 2.2 million acres of wilderness is the only complete mid-latitude ecosystem left on the planet.

This video includes excellent scenery and computer-generated videos that provide nice visual aid. These visual aides and the facts given by the narrator deliver on the National Geographic credibility you have come to expect. It includes wildlife in the Denali area, including two moose battling for a mate, as well as a brown bear cub taking out a caribou. The wildlife portion takes up about half of the video, about 25 minutes or so. The second half of this DVD shows a group of eight individuals who are climbing Mt. Mckinley. This gives an additional viewpoint of the Denali area for those who seek challenging ventures. The cons about this video are that I would have liked to see a longer wildlife portion, and it is not a very long video altogether (50 minutes), so the $18 price tag seems a bit much. If you are interested in Alaska, the arctic, national parks, mountain trekking, and wildlife, this is a good movie for you.

The transcript discusses the prevalent drug culture, particularly marijuana use, among youth in national parks. It highlights the perception that marijuana is less harmful than harder drugs and reflects on the challenges park rangers face in enforcing drug laws. While acknowledging the existence of drug trafficking, the narrative emphasizes that marijuana use is often seen as a minor issue compared to alcohol consumption or harder narcotics. The conversation also touches on the need for a more nuanced understanding of drug use, suggesting that current laws may be overly stringent and not reflective of societal attitudes.

Becoming Acadia

This documentary focuses on the Green Gabon program in the Congo Basin and explores rainforest conservation efforts as a way to stem climate change.

Park Rangers work to protect and manage black bears and other animals in Great Smoky Mountain National Park as they prepare for the coming of winter.