At the heart of the Park idea is this notion: that by virtue of being an American, whether your ancestors came over on the Mayflower or whether they just arrived, whether you’re from a big city or from a rural setting, whether your daddy owns the factory or your mother is a maid: You, you are the owner of some of the best seafront property this nation’s got; you own magnificent waterfalls; you own stunning views of mountains and stunning views of gorgeous canyons. They belong to you. They’re yours. And all that’s asked of you is to put it in your will for your children, so that they can have it, too. Hopefully, you won’t let it be sold off, you won’t let it be despoiled. Hopefully, you’ll provide for proper maintenance of this property that is yours. But that’s all you’ve got to do. Now that’s quite a bargain.
—Dayton Duncan, The National Parks, a film by Ken Burns
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theater, natural history and conservation, the utterly mundane, and Etruscan 8-tracks