Drastic funding and staffing cuts recently affecting the National Park Service suggest that some folks, particularly those currently running the U.S. government, could use a reminder of just how worthy of preservation the country’s public lands are.
A new coffee-table book fulfills that task in visually arresting fashion, illustrating across 230 photographs what we stand to lose with improper stewardship of the American wilderness.
Released by the Utah-based publisher Gibbs Smith, Parklands ($40) showcases the work of photographer Jacob W. Frank, who spent more than a decade hiking, climbing, boating, biking, skiing, and caving in the most scenic U.S. landscapes in order to capture the images in this book.
Divided into six chapters based on fundamental aspects of outdoor preserves—geology, water, plant life, wildlife, dark skies, and human history—Frank’s visual odyssey is intended as a celebration as well as a call to action, according to the publisher, which hopes to inspire readers to become champions of preservation.
Even buying the book helps. A portion of the sales of the first 1,000 copies of Parklands (set for release August 19) will go to the Association of National Park Rangers’ emergency relief fund, established by the nonprofit to assist National Park Service employees in times of need.
That includes rangers and other park workers who have lost their jobs due to the actions of the Trump administration. (To donate directly to the fund, go to ANPR.org/donate.)
In keeping with the show-not-tell ethos, we’ve gathered a sampling of Frank’s photos from Parklands, reproduced here courtesy of the publisher.
Pictured above: Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska
