Yosemite Presents is a collection of videos on a variety of topics. Yosemite has a rich human history, and a vast array of animals and plants that call this park home. It is also a place where natural processes prevail, such as floods, rockfalls, and fire. Management of these resources and processes is also important to allow for their existance while also allowing visitors to enjoy the majestic scenery that Yosemite encompasses. Prescribed fire, restoring giant sequoia groves, and protecting peregrine falcons are only some examples of ways we preserve park resources and processes. You can learn about all of these topics and more from this video library.
History and Human Stories
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Did you know that early Chinese immigrants played an important role in shaping the Yosemite that we know today? Join Park Ranger Yenyen Chan on an exploration of this impressive and surprising history.
- Duration:
- 7 minutes, 32 seconds
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Park Ranger Yenyen Chan shares the history of the Chinese Laundry building located in Wawona, along with information and artifacts uncovered that have taught us more about the role Chinese played in Yosemite's history.
- Duration:
- 3 minutes, 30 seconds
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Have your ever jumped in your car and headed for the mountains to escape the summer heat? The Tioga Road has provided an escape route to Yosemite's breathtaking high country for more than one hundred years. We celebrate a century of road trips on this cherished travel route, and look forward to another one hundred years of scenic high country adventures.
- Duration:
- 7 minutes, 13 seconds
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The peregrine falcon thrives in Yosemite Valley, but this remarkable bird was temporarily extirpated from much of its native range, including Yosemite where it disappeared for decades, leading to its listing as an endangered species in the early 1970s. Because of the remarkable, collaborative efforts of Yosemite climbers, UCSC Predatory Bird Research Group, and NPS biologists, with generous funding from the Yosemite Conservancy, the story of Yosemite’s peregrine falcon is one of hope.
- Duration:
- 7 minutes, 8 seconds
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Can we save the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog from extinction? Human introduced non-native species (fish and fungus) have been causing the frog to go from the most abundant amphibian in the Sierra Nevada to critically endangered. However, habitat restoration efforts in Yosemite are showing promising signs for the frog's recovery and long-term survival.
- Duration:
- 8 minutes, 27 seconds
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When faced with harsh and extreme conditions, how do organisms survive, thrive, and persist?
Plants living on the steep granite walls surrounding Yosemite Valley manage to survive and reproduce despite constant exposure to harsh environmental conditions such as wind, heat, limited soil, and seasonal water availability. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms that have allowed for plant populations to adapt to this intense environment.
- Duration:
- 5 minutes, 2 seconds
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In 1970, the NPS began to intentionally return fires to Yosemite, recognizing the traditional use of fire on the landscape and its important ecological role. Since 1970, fire managers have used fire to restore thousands of acres of forest, and continue to plan for future prescribed fires throughout large portions of the park.
- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 16 seconds
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The 2013 Rim Fire was, at the time, the largest forest fire in California history, and the largest fire in Yosemite history. Burning 400 square miles, the speed and size of the fire was unprecedented. As these unnaturally large fires become more commonplace due to previous fire suppression and climate change, Yosemite National Park is seeing the benefits of carefully allowing smaller, controlled fires on the landscape.
- Duration:
- 9 minutes, 55 seconds
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Who would have thought that giant sequoia groves need to be burned in order to be saved? Learn how early park managers discovered the importance of fire the hard way, and see how today's managers carefully manage fire in Yosemite. (26:00)
- Duration:
- 26 minutes, 22 seconds
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The Blue Jay Fire started on July 24th, 2020 and burned into winter. It was a natural ignition lightning fire that the park managed for resource objectives under a confine and contain strategy. In this video, Battalion Chief Russell Mitchell, who was the Incident Command for a long duration of this fire, explains the importance of fire on the landscape in Yosemite Wilderness ecosystems and the meaning of a confine and contain strategy.
- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 10 seconds
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Only a small fraction of career firefighters in the United States are women. The California Conservation Corps and the National Park Service are working together to change that with support from the National Park Foundation. In 2021, six California Conservation Corps members formed Yosemite’s first Women’s Fire Corps Crew. Crew members learned basic skills for firefighting and fire management, while connecting with mentors to prepare for future fire careers.
- Duration:
- 3 minutes, 43 seconds
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Floods in Yosemite Valley aren't uncommon during spring, when the Merced River swells with melted snow. The largest, least common floods occur during winter. See what the Valley looked like during the large floods in May 1996 and January 1997.
- Duration:
- 5 minutes, 53 seconds
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In the spring of 2006, a rockslide buried a section of Highway 140 just outside of Yosemite National Park. The slide remained highly active for many days, allowing rare views of a rockslide in motion. The rockslide has been bypassed with temporary bridges, allowing Highway 140 to remain open. This footage was shot after the main rockslide, but while movement was still occurring.
- Duration:
- 3 minutes, 45 seconds
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The Mariposa Grove reopened in June, 2018, after being closed three years for restoration. Crews improved habitat for sequoias by removing parking lots and roads, and restoring the natural flow of water to the trees. Parking was relocated two miles away from the grove, and is connected by shuttle buses. The restoration also added accessible trails and improved bathrooms. This was the largest restoration project in the history of the park.
- Duration:
- 3 minutes, 55 seconds
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Local American Indians, park fire managers, and blackberry weeders team up to save a meadow in danger of losing its unique native plants.
- Duration:
- 7 minutes, 24 seconds
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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work in a national park? Get a taste of the exciting variety of National Park Service jobs in Yosemite, from archeology and carpentry to search & rescue and wildlife management.
- Duration:
- 3 minutes, 11 seconds
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Is working for Yosemite your dream job? Watch this movie for information about the variety of National Park Service jobs in Yosemite.
- Duration:
- 15 minutes, 43 seconds
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Every spring, both visitors and locals look forward to the opening of the Tioga Road, a high-elevation pass that crosses Yosemite National Park. Get a glimpse of what it takes to clear snow and ice from a section of the highway known for dangerous avalanches.
- Duration:
- 3 minutes, 35 seconds
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