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[WATER RUSHING]
Man: I THINK THE REASON WHY EVERYBODY COMES TO YOSEMITE
IS WATER.
WHETHER IT’S A GIANT SEQUOIA, WHETHER IT’S A BEAR,
WHETHER IT’S A RIVER, OR WHETHER IT’S A WILDFLOWER--
EVERYTHING THAT’S ALIVE IN YOSEMITE,
WATER FLOWS THROUGH IT.
AND THAT’S THE ORIGIN OF BEAUTY.
WATER IS THE ORIGIN OF BEAUTY.
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[WATER RUSHING]
IT IS ANIMATED. IT IS ALWAYS IN MOTION.
THERE’S ALWAYS THIS AURA OF TURBULENCE TO IT.
YOU CAN SIT THERE AND LOOK UP AT A WATERFALL FOR HOURS
AND ALWAYS FIND SOMETHING NEW IN IT.
WATER IS HYPNOTIC. WATER IS MESMERIZING.
IT CAN PUT YOU INTO A TRANCELIKE STATE.
IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL. IT’S SO CAPTIVATING.
IT’S SO ALLURING.
Man: WHEN YOU GET A PLACE LIKE THIS THAT COMBINES THE WATER THAT’S HERE
WITH THE OTHER NATURAL BEAUTY THAT SURROUNDS IT,
THIS COMBINATION OF ELEMENTS IS ALMOST OVERWHELMING FOR PEOPLE.
BUT EVEN WITH ALL THE OTHER THINGS TO BE DISTRACTED BY HERE,
THE WATER STILL SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE MORE OVERWHELMING DRAWS
FOR PEOPLE THAT COME TO RECREATE, TO PHOTOGRAPH,
TO PAINT, WHATEVER THEY HAPPEN TO BE DOING.
WATER TENDS TO BE A PART OF IT.
[CHILD GIGGLING]
Medema: ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON’T OFTEN THINK ABOUT
WHEN THEY’RE PLAYING IN THE WATER IN YOSEMITE,
WHETHER THEY’RE RAFTING OR FISHING OR SWIMMING OR WHATEVER IT IS,
THAT THAT SAME WATER THAT THEY’RE PLAYING IN
MIGHT COME BACK TO THEM WHEN THEY EAT A STRAWBERRY A MONTH LATER.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK PROTECTS THESE TWO WATERSHEDS:
THE TUOLUMNE RIVER AND THE MERCED RIVER,
BOTH OF WHICH EMPTY INTO THE CENTRAL VALLEY OF CALIFORNIA,
WHICH GROWS A HUGE AMOUNT OF THE WORLD’S PRODUCE.
Johnson: PEOPLE THINK OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY AS THE BREAD BASKET OF THE WORLD.
THERE’S SO MUCH PRODUCE, THERE’S SO MUCH AGRICULTURE THAT’S IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY,
THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.
AND THE PRODUCE FROM THAT VALLEY GOES ALL OVER THE WORLD,
WHICH MEANS THAT THE WATER THAT SHAPED AND NOURISHED THAT PRODUCE
THAT CAME FROM THE SIERRA NEVADA, THAT CAME FROM THE SOUND OF THESE WATERFALLS
HERE IN THE YOSEMITE VALLEY,
THAT’S ALSO BEING SHIPPED ALL OVER THE WORLD.
THERE’S A LITTLE BIT OF YOSEMITE IN CHILE,
IN GLASGOW,
IN PARIS, BECAUSE OF THE PRODUCE THAT HAS BEEN SHIPPED
TO THOSE COUNTRIES FROM THE CENTRAL VALLEY.
Medema: AND WE TRY TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT THAT, TOO.
HOW YOU TREAT THE WATER HERE
IMPACTS THE PRODUCE AND THE GROWING DOWN IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY,
AND IT IMPACTS WHAT YOU END UP EATING AT HOME.
FOLKS IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA END UP BRUSHING THEIR TEETH
WITH THE WATER THAT COMES FROM YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK.
Johnson: IT DOES HAVE ITS ENCHANTMENT.
IF WE COULD JUST GET AS SMALL AS A DROPLET OF WATER
AND MAKE OUR WAY UP THROUGH THAT FAUCET AND FOLLOW IT THROUGH THE WATER SYSTEM,
FOLLOW IT ALL THE WAY BACK TO WHERE THE WATER CAME FROM
WHEN IT WAS SNOW IN THE SIERRA NEVADA,
THAT WOULD BE A RESTORATION OF THAT MAGIC, OF THAT ENCHANTMENT.
Medema: THE MORE THAT WE CAN HAVE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF CONSERVING WATER
SO THEY KNOW WHERE THE SOURCE IS,
THEY KNOW WHERE IT’S COMING FROM,
THEY KNOW WHAT IT DOES ALONG THE WAY,
AND THEY KNOW THAT AS AN END USER WHAT THEY’RE RESPONSIBLE FOR
IN HELPING TO PRESERVE THE AMOUNT OF THAT WATER AVAILABLE,
FOR ALL OF THESE OTHER THINGS,
I THINK WE’LL BE SO MUCH BETTER OFF IF EVERYBODY CAN GRASP HOLD OF THAT IDEA
AND TAKE ACTION PERSONALLY IN THEIR DAILY LIVES.
IT’S THAT WHOLE "NO SINGLE RAINDROP BELIEVES THAT IT’S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FLOOD,"
TO USE THE WATER ANALOGY.
IT TAKES A WHOLE LOT OF RAINDROPS TO CREATE THAT FLOOD, CLEARLY.
WELL, IT’S THE SAME THING WITH PEOPLE AND CONSERVING.
IT’S GONNA TAKE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE,
BUT IT’S THE ONLY WAY IT’S GONNA HAPPEN.
IF NO INDIVIDUAL DROP IS WILLING TO MAKE THEIR INDIVIDUAL EFFORT,
THEN THE FLOOD OF CHANGE CAN’T HAPPEN.
Johnson: FLOWING WATER IS THE PULSE OF THE EARTH.
IT’S THE PULSE OF YOSEMITE.
IT’S LITERALLY A SIGN THAT YOSEMITE IS ALIVE.
Medema: WATER IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK.
THE RIVERS AND STREAMS ARE LIKE THE VEINS.
YOU KNOW, THEY CARRY THE NUTRIENTS.
THEY CARRY LIFE THROUGHOUT THE PARK.
THEY NEVER STOP FLOWING.
IT EBBS AND FLOWS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR,
BUT IT’S EVER PRESENT,
AND IT’S ALWAYS BRINGING SOMETHING LIFE-SUSTAINING
THROUGH, INTO, AND OUT OF THE PARK.
AND SO IT’S VERY MUCH THE LIFEBLOOD OF THIS PLACE.