John Muir and Emerson on PBS

The National Parks PBS series aired in 6 episodes from Sept 27 - Oct 2. It's online now this week through Oct 9 and can be purchased for $99 DVD ($129 Blue Ray). Or if you miss it I'm sure it will play again on pledge weekends.

For me, all six nights were good, but the best, the most fascinating were the first two nights. The common character in both episodes was John Muir, the naturalist and conservationist. In Episode One- ' The Scripture of Nature (1851-1890)' was the period of the Transcendentalists, the literary, philosophers and poets who believed that spiritual ideas transcend the material existence. For the past two years I've taught a class on Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Transcendentalists. During the 8 week class students are asked to increase the amount of time they spend in Nature and to keep a journal. John Muir spent years in the Yosemite valley and used a journal to characterize and interpret his experiences. The episode talks about how Muir would climb a tree during a storm in order to experience the rain from the tree's perspective (43 min. into the episode). His experience of Yosemite, the giant Sequoia forests and the great outdoors was that of the most holy place, his Sanctum Santorum. That is how I feel during a hike in the woods. That is what is revealed to each student as they study Emerson and they experience the multiple ways unity appears in nature.

I haven't been to Yosemite for 15 years but I understand the beauty in the meadow, the waterfalls and the granite. I visited Yellowstone for the first time in 1991, driving with a van full of family and staying for about a week. I visited again for a day in 2007. Each time I experience the wonder and the beauty as demonstrated in this one picture.