If there’s one thing that could make national parks even better, it’s the soothing voice of former President Barack Obama.
Last week, Netflix released a trailer for Our Great National Parks, a five-part docuseries narrated by none other than the 44th POTUS himself. The series will premiere on April 13, with each episode focusing on national parks around the world.
“A fish that can walk. Surfing hippos that want to catch the waves. Species found nowhere else on earth,” says Obama in the opening lines of the trailer. “Join me in a celebration of our planet’s greatest national parks and wilderness.”
The show is produced by James Honeyborne, who also served as executive producer of Blue Planet II—and this series looks like it will be as visually stunning as its watery predecessor. The two-minute trailer alone is packed with striking shots of landscapes and animals, ranging from whales swimming in the ocean to monarch butterflies gathered on a branch.
The show will highlight international parks, such as Indonesia’s Gunung Leuser National Park (a rich tropical rain forest) and Kenya’s Tsavo National Park (known for its lava flows and red elephants), plus biodiverse spots like Chilean Patagonia and Monterey Bay in California. Aside from showcasing the natural beauty of these sites, the show will focus on meaningful change and preservation.
“When humanity started to protect these wild places, we did not realize how important they would become,” Obama further narrates in the trailer, over clips of icebergs and sloths. “They’re a haven for endangered species and a hotbed for scientific research.”
This venture is very much on brand for the former U.S. President. During his administration, Obama protected more than 550 million acres of public land and water, more than any other president in history. He also added 22 new parks to the National Park Service, created a marine reserve in Antarctica, and launched a still-active initiative to grant all fourth-graders free admission to national parks.
“This is a journey through the natural wonders of our shared birthright,” Obama concludes in the trailer.
