why is ken burns so highly heralded for his national parks works?”
LASSEN PARK — Two upcoming park documentaries remind north-state residents that a national wonder sits on their doorsteps. Lassen Volcanic National Park, near Mineral off Highway 36, could play a tiny role in Ken Burns’ much-heralded documentary series on America’s National Park System, but Lassen officials doubt it. Crews for the series did film in Lassen two years ago, according to Karen Haner, head of interpretation and education at Lassen. “They did do some filming here, but only as scenery and probably won’t be mentioned or highlighted in the narration,” said Haner. Park officials also talked to the film company four years ago about the permit process. “I was not assured that any footage would be in the series.” Even so, Haner points out, the series should help north-staters remember that a national park is so close. However, Lassen is definitely part of a public television series from Sacramento public station KVIE Channel 6. The feature is called “Rob on the Road.” “Lassen is t
May 05, 2009 Everglades National Park is a short drive from Miami, yet most of its visitors come from out of the state or country. And on a typical weekend, many Biscayne Bay boaters don’t even know they’re cruising through Biscayne National Park. To renowned documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, it’s no surprise that two parks covering most of the South Florida map might as well be invisible to many who live here. They likely know little about the decades of struggle to beat back plume hunters, dredgers, developers and political forces bent on paving everything from Elliott Key to Everglades City. “Everyone just assumes the national parks were always there,” he said. Burns, acclaimed for his popular studies of the Civil War, baseball, jazz and other uniquely American subjects, hopes to rekindle public appreciation for the parks and the people who fought to create them in his latest series, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. On Tuesday, he will visit the University of Miami’s Gusman C
