Highly Recommended: Video Librarian;  Recommended: Booklist

By Oscar nominated David Vassar

California Forever highlights the priceless legacy of California's state parks, the spark for the national park system and the American conservation movement, as well the importance of their preservation and protection.  Stunning cinematography, compelling characters, rare archival imagery and an original score coalesce to create a powerful, moving viewing experience.

Titles include:

The History of California State Parks
We begin with the discovery of the giant sequoias in 1852 by Augustus Dowd and recount the establishment of California’s first state park, Yosemite. Then on to the iconic landscapes of the coastal redwoods, Big Sur, Point Lobos, Hearst Castle, Lake Tahoe, the Anza-Borrego Desert... It is a scenic, cultural and historical tour highlighting the people, key events and locales that made CA history.

Parks for the Future
This episode presents the challenges that state parks are facing in California and around the US. Among these are habitat destruction, protection of native species at the expense of recreation; reclaiming industrial brown fields to create new parks in dense urban areas; establishing historic sites; imminent park closures as a result of budget deficits; and climate change.