Award-winning producer and creative director James Honeyborne has led his team with a focus produced by lifelong professional dedication in order to delight viewers with his vision of the world’s endangered lands, fauna and flora, and oceanic havens. From the beginning of the film, the viewer’s eye gets to absorb some of the world’s most spectacular and mind-blowing scenery, educating the audience on the importance of nature and the beauty and function of wildlife.

Barack Obama has jumped into the action to lend his characteristically powerful voice to narrate the five-episode series. The former President opens the series on an inclusive note: “Join me in the celebration of our planet’s greatest national parks and wildernesses. A journey through the natural wonders of our shared birthright.”

Honeyborne, who initially studied biology and who has overseen countless stories for the BBC’s natural history channel, shows himself on top of his game in this Netflix docuseries. The talented filmmaker has built a fascinating and successful career, having worked closely with Sir David Attenborough on the series Africa, and won countless awards for his series Blue Planet II, a show that has succeeded in inspiring people worldwide to help put an end to the place of single-use plastics in everyday life.

To produce Our Great National Parks, Honeyborne had the idea to bring on board the much-loved former President Barack Obama. Effortlessly, the 44th President of the United States guides the viewer through mesmerizing acres of lands and waters across the world. His narrative voice has won him an Emmy award.

The Obamas are no strangers to the love of the world’s nature, for together they have helped to protect more than 550 million acres of public lands and waters in the United States – more than any other American President in history. The national parks project has since expanded into a global concern. Currently, 15% of land and 8% of the ecosphere’s oceans are officially safeguarded.

In 2018,  Michelle and Barack Obama launched their own production company, Higher Ground, in co-production with Netflix.

The documentary series  does not disappoint cinematographically. Each episode highlights some of the most breathtaking  wildlife scenes. The slow-moving camera lens captures some entrancing wide-ranging landscapes, sea panoramas, and astonishing animal activity.  Beautiful images were taken over more than 1,500 days of filming Our Great National Parks. No less than 33 voyages were launched to travel the national parks. To capture such magic on film took three years, spanning 10 different countries, on five continents.

As Obama told Al Roker during an interview on The Today Show: “Nature is more resilient than we think, if we are intentional about it. I’m hoping that we’re going to learn something, not just about how to maintain national parks, but why it’s so important to deal with issues like climate change that threaten the entire planet. I think that the generation of our kids are more mindful of how we haven’t always taken care of the planet and with climate change affecting everything, they are demanding action.”