Congratulations to Luke Morris of Hendersonville, North Carolina, for taking third place in the 2021 Next Generation Angels Awards Middle School Division. Have a look, we think Luke did a great job. The Henderson Lightning agrees.
The Better Angels Society, run by filmmaker Ken Burns, is dedicated to educating Americans about their history through documentary film. The competition that honored Luke’s documentary drew competitors from all 50 states, as well as China, South Korea, American Samoa, Guam and Singapore.
Hetch Hetchy’s compelling history, and the lesson it has taught us, continues to draw the interest of young people. Students from grade schools and grad schools, and all levels in between, are interested in environmental history and often come to Restore Hetch Hetchy for materials and/or interviews.
Luke Morris, however, did not come to us. His love of hiking in outdoor spaces and parks inspired him to research John Muir. His eighth grade teacher told him about Hetch Hetchy and Luke decided it would be the focus of his film. Luke found some great photographs and did thorough research, creating an excellent film.
Hetch Hetchy continues to loom large in American environmental history. The valley was dammed only after a protracted and bitter battle between San Francisco and “preservationists” (as they were called at the time). Hetch Hetchy Reservoir remains the most harmful development to take place in any one of America’s national parks. Finally, as the film explains, less than three years later, Congress passed the National Park Service Act in large part to ensure that such destruction would never again take place.
As inspiring as the story of Hetch Hetchy has been to date, we think the next chapter – restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley to its natural splendor – will motivate people everywhere to be better stewards of both their own communities and the grand landscapes of our natural world.