The Land We Inherit and the Legacy We Create

"There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy, and its charm.” – Theodore Roosevelt.

Craggy Sierra peaks. Biodiverse wetland kingdoms. Arid ethereal salt flats. Rolling prairies and vast windswept flatlands. Moss-draped forests. Water- and wind-carved sandstone gorges. These landscapes are more than just beautiful scenery: they tell ancient stories, sustain our communities, and hold our future in their rivers, trees, valleys, and peaks. Now, it is our turn to protect them. 

North America's history is rich with conservation. It can be traced all the way back to the origins of humankind, with modern archaeological evidence showing that cavemen systematically conserved resources and even recycled tools. It can be witnessed throughout the history of the land, with American Indian populations developing complex institutions to enforce conservation, often building entire societies around natural resource stewardship. The understanding that the health of the land and human prosperity are inextricably linked has persisted across millennia and has remained vital as new generations forge relationships with the land in an evolving world. 

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A turning point arrived in American history with the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, one of the nation’s first leaders to recognize and prioritize environmental conservation. Beyond setting aside hundreds of millions of acres of public land and creating dozens of modern-day national wildlife refuges, Roosevelt helped usher in a new era of federal protection for America’s natural and cultural treasures. Landmarks like the Sinagua cliff dwellings in modern-day Flagstaff, which weave portraits of human innovation and societal customs, or Devil's Tower in Wyoming, which preserves ancient, sacred ties between American Indians and the natural world, show how deeply human history, cultural identity, and the land are intertwined. By championing the protection of these landmarks and of lands across the country, Roosevelt expanded the conservational foundations laid before him and offered the generations to follow a tangible framework to build from.

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“Here is your country,” Roosevelt said in a 1903 address recorded in Theodore Roosevelt on Bravery: Lessons from the Most Courageous Leader of the Twentieth Century. “Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children's children.”

Today, conservationists face increasingly complex challenges in the pursuit of environmental preservation. In addition to protecting the natural resources and rich history of the land, they also seek to maintain the recreational and economic benefits public lands provide while battling a warming globe, which threatens all that the generations before us built and endangers the lives of generations to come.

One of the many conservationists working to protect the planet today is none other than Simon Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt’s great-great-grandson and inheritor of his conservationist legacy. Highlighted in the brand-new IMAX® documentary film, America the Beautiful, Simon’s efforts, along with those of countless other modern-day conservationists, illustrate the generational nature of conservation and prove that the work we do today directly affects the generations of tomorrow. 

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The sweeping landscapes depicted in America the Beautiful paint a picture we all know: this land is beautiful. But the stories the film tells reveal something deeper: these landscapes preserve our history, shape our present, and hold the promise of our future. The brave conservationists featured throughout the film remind us that protecting our planet is an enduring commitment, and demonstrate that even though the challenges may change, the responsibility remains the same: ensuring future generations have the chance to protect the same natural wonders entrusted to us.

“If you had the opportunity to say one thing to him, what would you say?” Jen Casey, director of America the Beautiful, asked Simon Theodore in reference to his great-great-grandfather.

Simon replied, “Keep watching; we can do this.”