Unencumbered by foothills, the Teton Range provides one of the most impressive and soul-stirring views in the Rockies, especially in winter. ©Henry H. Holdsworth

The end of 2016 marks the closing of the National Park Service’s centennial year. For the past 12 months, we Americans have been appreciating, celebrating and visiting all of our 413 national park units, large and small.

We have little more than a week left in this notable year, but it’s enough time to get in a short, last look at the beauty found in just one of the lands we all love and share. In the three-and-a-half-minute video below, titled Grand Teton 8K, you’ll find images of the glacier-carved lakes, winding rivers, unpolluted wilderness areas, diverse wildlife and magnificent mountains that reside in Grand Teton National Park. Hopefully, as we head into 2017, this time-lapse film will remind you of why fighting to keep these lands as undeveloped as possible and free to change naturally and organically is one of the most important conservation efforts we can be involved in, together.

About 800 moose inhabit the southern parts of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks and the surrounding national forests. ©Henry H. Holdsworth

Grand Teton 8K was produced by More than Just Parks. While you watch, I suggest you use the full-screen mode and turn up the sound. The music, by Ryan Taubert, is titled “Becoming Human.” I find that especially timely, in this current climate of divisiveness. It’s good to remember our humanity—the state of being humane and compassionate toward all—in a period of such intense discord and strife.

Amid your holiday preparations and celebrations, do spare a few minutes to watch the film and reap the benefits from this brief respite in nature.

Happy holidays,

Candy