The role of people in preserving nature, according to America’s National Parks docuseries
An elk grazing in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. National Geographic/Justin Grubb The quote “take only memories, leave nothing but footprints” is most often attributed to Duwamish Chief Si’ahl, or Chief Seattle. This saying is a core value for the 400 plus parks that make up the United States National Park Service (NPS). However, it is a lesser known quote from Seattle, Washington’s namesake that is at the heart of the second season of National Geographic’s series America’s National Parks. “This we know; The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know, all things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected.” [Related: The 10 most underrated national parks in the US.] That human-Earth connection is a consistent presence in the five-part...