Death Valley National Park releases documentary to engage public interest

Death Valley National Park released the second episode of a documentary series designed to engage the public’s interest in the park through social media.

The second episode of the Death Valley Explorer series, titled “Ghost of Water”, is available to the public at the Death Valley National Park’s YouTube channel titled DeathValleyNP, officials said in a news release.

Rio Tinto, a global mining and metals group that focuses on finding, processing and marketing of the mineral resources, donated $50,000 to produce a documentary video series through the Death Valley Natural History Association to support the National Park Service, according to the release.

Rio Tinto previously donated money for several documentaries, among them the first episode from the Death Valley Explorer series and Death Valley Exposed, episodes 1 and 2 about the October 2015 floods and the subsequent super bloom. A third episode on the subject of mining in Death Valley is currently in production.

Rio Tinto supplies about 30 percent of the world’s refined borates from its operation in California’s Mojave Desert, one of the richest borate deposits in the world. Borate, which was found in the Death Valley area, gained attention through the 20 Mule Team advertising campaign.

Rio Tinto, previously operated as U.S. Borax, also donated land holdings to the federal government and lobbied to protect the area as a national monument in 1933, and as a national park in 1994. In 2010, Rio Tinto donated an additional 110 acres and associated mineral rights to Death Valley National Park.

Since 1954, the Death Valley Natural History Association (DVNHA) has been the official nonprofit partner of Death Valley National Park. In that time, DVNHA has donated nearly $4.5 million to Death Valley National Park, supporting education, preservation and scientific research.

For more information about the Death Valley Natural History Association’s programs or to make a donation, visit: www.dvnha.org or call 800-478-8564.

Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @dariasokolova77