I was also shocked at Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay. James “Ocher” Escridge, Mayor Of the community. On paper, I and this guy don’t say much to each other. He was in America’s most Trump constituency by some means, and he is very, very, very conservative. But I felt his energy in real time and enjoyed the luxury of experiencing his hospitality. I learned that his house has disappeared due to rising sea levels due to climate change. He doesn’t call it climate change, but he admits that the water is rising and wants to do something about it. He wants a breakwater, he wants federal money to be used to save his town. We were on the coast of his island, looking at the tombstones in the water. You can view data on climate change and watch the temperature rise by watching Al Gore’s presentation. But then you can go through the graveyard. Hearing him, he explains that his ancestors must be excavated in his backyard. He talked emotionally about it. It made it a reality. I didn’t expect to have such an experience at all. At first glance, I never thought I was with someone different from me.
Climate change comes out a lot at the show. Was it your intention?
Making a show about the outdoors is about making a show about climate change. This topic is inevitable. Everywhere I witnessed the effects of climate change. Death Valley’s dryness and lack of water were beyond expectations. Firefighter training for those wilderness firefighters. In Idaho, smoke from western fire, and low levels of rivers and high temperatures of rivers. In Minnesota, a farmer, one of the segments with the Abbass, was trying to grow climate-resistant trees that could withstand higher temperatures as the forests we stood on disappeared. So what kind of new forest can be created in the place, rather than just lamenting it? They are designed to solidify the forest with only basic biology so that children can also grow trees. When we were in Duluth, Minnesota, we could hardly breathe. Minnesota is now on a crazy fire. I couldn’t see Lake Superior. When I wasn’t shooting, the inside was burning and I had to wear an N95 mask.
Wherever I went, there was talk of climate. Sometimes it was the focus of the story, who we were talking to. At other times, it influenced the way we make shows.
What do you want people to learn from this show?
I want you to see the outdoors as a place where you can literally experience the commonalities among the various differences that make up this country. Almost everyone should be able to see themselves at the show — different time zones, different ecology, different ages, shapes and abilities. We hope to reflect the diversity of the country in both the natural and human states. I want to make this show a mirror for everyone.
The indigenous peoples I have spoken to have a culture of being part of nature rather than leaving it. We had to relearn it. This was a really big point for me. Especially because the climate will become more unstable in the coming decades. We all need to stay connected that way. This is not just for use. It belongs to.