Documentary spotlights work of park rangers
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com

Photo Courtesy of Matt Wilken, Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority NATURE HEROES- The audience sits in rapt attention for a screening of "The Thin Green Line," a documentary about park rangers presented under the stars at King Gillette Ranch near Calabasas.

Usually by 10 o'clock in the evening all is quiet in Malibu Canyon. But last week, on an otherwise uneventful Tuesday night, a group of about 65 local residents sat under the stars to catch a movie premiere at King Gillette Ranch.

"The Thin Green Line," a documentary following the work of park rangers all over the world, premiered in 500 locations in 50 countries on July 31.

Ranger Jewel Johnson of King Gillette Ranch organized the local premiere.

"It puts what I do in perspective," Johnson said. "I have total respect. There are awesome rangers from all over the world. These rangers share the sacrifices they have to make, and they love what they do. They are on the front line."

According to Ranger Gordon Smith of South Africa, the work of the park ranger is tough.

"You can't teach a person to be dedicated," Smith says in the film. "People think being a ranger is glamorous, but it's hard work in bad conditions. The most important thing is for a person to really want to be a ranger and to understand the difficulties of the job."

The documentary shows a protest in the Galapagos Islands; fishermen threaten to burn down a park office and beat up rangers if they continue to protect the sea life the people want to hunt.

It also spotlights rangers in India who struggle to balance the needs of a large population and the needs of the land. Many people rely on the forests for survival- for example, the camera follows several female firewood poachers armed with machetes.

The rangers, in order to preserve the shrinking forests, are in the difficult position of having to stop the needy family from taking the firewood.

Dick Martin, chief superintendent of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, says in the film that several rangers have been killed in the line of duty over the past 14 years.

"The scuffles that I had previously been aware of were more physical confrontations, just scuffles, as opposed to people actually being murdered," Martin says of altercations between trespassers and rangers. "There's been an evolution toward truly lethal violence."

The book, "The Last Season" by Eric Blehm chronicles the life and death of National Park Service ranger Randy Morgenson, who died in 1996 while patroling California's rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Not only are rangers in danger themselves, but they've also witnessed tragedy involving others.

One ranger in "The Thin Green Line" described of an avalanche that buried 14 children alive, while another remembered a 1-year-old falling into a creek and being swept down the river.

"The parents didn't know where the child went, whether it was picked up by a lion or snatched up," says Wes Bradford, a ranger in Canada. "But 45 minutes later two rangers found the baby floating in the river. Of course, it was dead."

Ranger Jes Aargard of Denmark talks to the film's host Sean Willmore about the overwhelming nature of his job.

"Sometimes I feel a bit depressed about how little, in fact, we can do," Aargard says. "It's a big rock we have to push."

Mark Green and his wife and son swim in Malibu Creek and hike in the area. After stopping by King Gillette Ranch last week to find out about summer programs, they were told about the film premiere.

"The footage was unbelievable," said Green, an Agoura Hills resident. "It's an original film you aren't going to see on Discovery. I think it was edited really well, too. I felt fortunate to see it."

Green's son Jack, 7, said he thought the movie was "cool and interesting," and he really liked the snake scenes.

Rorie Skei, a ranger at the Santa Monica Mountains Conservatory, came out for the premiere as well.

"Obviously many of us here are park rangers, so it's really close to my heart," Skei said. "It was great. The film is really inspiring."

The film's host, Sean Willmore, will come to this area at the end of the year to talk about the issues of rangers around the world, Johnson said.

For more information about the documentary, visit the website www.thingreenline.info.