1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000 2 00:00:44,659 --> 00:00:46,450 I'm Joel Sartore , a national 3 00:00:46,459 --> 00:00:48,626 geographic photographer and founder of 4 00:00:48,626 --> 00:00:50,792 the Photo Ark . And you'll never guess 5 00:00:50,792 --> 00:00:53,849 where I am . Van Den Berg Space Force 6 00:00:53,860 --> 00:00:57,369 Base . Beautiful , isn't it ? 7 00:00:59,340 --> 00:01:01,507 You probably don't know this . But the 8 00:01:01,507 --> 00:01:03,618 Department of Defense is actually one 9 00:01:03,618 --> 00:01:05,840 of the greatest stewards of wildlife in 10 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:07,896 the world . That's because they need 11 00:01:07,896 --> 00:01:10,007 natural areas just like this one . In 12 00:01:10,007 --> 00:01:12,173 order to conduct realistic testing and 13 00:01:12,173 --> 00:01:14,284 training , the Vanderberg Space Force 14 00:01:14,284 --> 00:01:16,062 Base is absolutely vital to our 15 00:01:16,062 --> 00:01:17,951 nation's defense . It is the only 16 00:01:17,951 --> 00:01:20,062 location in the Department of Defense 17 00:01:20,062 --> 00:01:19,970 where we can operationally test 18 00:01:19,980 --> 00:01:22,202 intercontinental ballistic missiles for 19 00:01:22,202 --> 00:01:23,924 our nation's nuclear deterrent 20 00:01:23,924 --> 00:01:26,091 capability . Put rockets into space at 21 00:01:26,091 --> 00:01:27,924 a minimal cost and to launch our 22 00:01:27,924 --> 00:01:29,869 missiles into our operational test 23 00:01:29,869 --> 00:01:32,091 locations in the Pacific is un mashed . 24 00:01:32,091 --> 00:01:34,258 It is amazing how we have side by side 25 00:01:34,258 --> 00:01:36,424 missions that are generally speaking , 26 00:01:36,424 --> 00:01:38,647 high risk operations . You can launch a 27 00:01:38,647 --> 00:01:40,869 huge rocket with lots of high explosive 28 00:01:40,869 --> 00:01:42,980 fuel and just literally feet down the 29 00:01:42,980 --> 00:01:44,813 road . You could have endangered 30 00:01:44,813 --> 00:01:46,924 species habitat that is coexisting in 31 00:01:46,924 --> 00:01:46,889 the same place . And that's amazing to 32 00:01:46,900 --> 00:01:48,956 me that we can create an environment 33 00:01:48,956 --> 00:01:50,956 where these animals can continue to 34 00:01:50,956 --> 00:01:53,178 thrive in their natural habitat . While 35 00:01:53,178 --> 00:01:53,069 at the same time conduct these missions 36 00:01:55,669 --> 00:01:57,970 to most military bases . It's not all 37 00:01:57,980 --> 00:02:00,720 craters and scorched earth . It's 38 00:02:00,730 --> 00:02:02,897 actually a working breathing landscape 39 00:02:02,897 --> 00:02:05,949 and often the only habitat left for 40 00:02:05,959 --> 00:02:07,959 threatened and endangered species . 41 00:02:07,959 --> 00:02:10,126 More than 500 of them on Department of 42 00:02:10,126 --> 00:02:12,292 Defense lands across the United States 43 00:02:12,292 --> 00:02:13,459 and Us territories . 44 00:02:17,130 --> 00:02:20,610 And one of the biggest bonuses the 45 00:02:20,619 --> 00:02:23,020 conservation of these wild places . 46 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:25,949 It's a win win for the military and for 47 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,229 nature and the Department of Defense 48 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,630 means it when they say we care , this 49 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:33,472 is part of our mission as well . 50 00:02:34,050 --> 00:02:37,360 Vandenberg's living proof . Think about 51 00:02:37,369 --> 00:02:39,425 what the rest of the coastline looks 52 00:02:39,425 --> 00:02:41,258 like in southern California . It 53 00:02:41,258 --> 00:02:43,869 doesn't look like this . Just about 54 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,600 100,000 acres of intact habitat for 55 00:02:47,610 --> 00:02:49,610 threatened and endangered species . 56 00:02:50,949 --> 00:02:52,838 It's an imperative that they save 57 00:02:52,838 --> 00:02:55,240 nature and they work every day to do so 58 00:02:56,050 --> 00:02:58,161 here , tidewater gobies , they're not 59 00:02:58,161 --> 00:03:01,899 very big . The habitat that 60 00:03:01,910 --> 00:03:05,169 supports these little critters is rare 61 00:03:05,470 --> 00:03:07,779 with the Department of Defense being 62 00:03:07,789 --> 00:03:10,289 such a large landowner . I see them 63 00:03:10,300 --> 00:03:12,467 really as stewards of putting back the 64 00:03:12,470 --> 00:03:14,581 pieces that have been taken apart . I 65 00:03:14,581 --> 00:03:16,581 mean , we have almost 100,000 acres 66 00:03:16,589 --> 00:03:20,470 here . Here we go . Ok . So we got a 67 00:03:20,479 --> 00:03:22,646 nice thing out here taking care of the 68 00:03:22,646 --> 00:03:24,759 least among us is a big deal to me . 69 00:03:24,789 --> 00:03:26,789 And that's why we do these pictures 70 00:03:26,789 --> 00:03:28,900 this way because they're all the same 71 00:03:28,900 --> 00:03:31,067 size . So goby is as big as a tiger in 72 00:03:31,067 --> 00:03:33,240 these pictures . The way that Joel is 73 00:03:33,250 --> 00:03:35,194 able to capture the personality of 74 00:03:35,194 --> 00:03:37,509 these animals . They shine . When , 75 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:39,576 when you do the portrait photography 76 00:03:39,576 --> 00:03:41,631 like Joel is doing , it was critical 77 00:03:41,631 --> 00:03:43,853 that we share the military mission that 78 00:03:43,853 --> 00:03:47,649 we're supporting first and through Joel 79 00:03:47,660 --> 00:03:49,604 to help tell the story of just the 80 00:03:49,604 --> 00:03:51,660 awesome critters that we manage on a 81 00:03:51,660 --> 00:03:55,479 daily basis . Overall , the 82 00:03:55,490 --> 00:03:58,119 Department of Defense manages nearly 27 83 00:03:58,130 --> 00:04:00,800 million acres of land in all 50 states 84 00:04:00,809 --> 00:04:02,279 and us territories . 85 00:04:05,389 --> 00:04:09,330 I just , these 86 00:04:09,339 --> 00:04:11,228 folks are here to support the dod 87 00:04:11,228 --> 00:04:13,283 mission , but they can do that while 88 00:04:13,283 --> 00:04:15,506 protecting the natural resources . They 89 00:04:15,506 --> 00:04:17,506 can provide training in a realistic 90 00:04:17,506 --> 00:04:19,739 environment while protecting threatened 91 00:04:19,750 --> 00:04:22,480 and endangered species as well as all 92 00:04:22,489 --> 00:04:24,045 other animals around them . 93 00:04:32,309 --> 00:04:34,649 So Vandenberg is unique because we have 94 00:04:34,660 --> 00:04:37,049 a lot of acreage as like buffering , 95 00:04:37,059 --> 00:04:39,115 but it's also a really great habitat 96 00:04:39,115 --> 00:04:41,281 for other species and animals and they 97 00:04:41,281 --> 00:04:43,559 are federally required to protect them . 98 00:04:43,559 --> 00:04:43,320 So it's actually really beneficial for 99 00:04:43,329 --> 00:04:45,273 the animal and the species . We're 100 00:04:45,273 --> 00:04:47,273 gonna put a turtle in there and I'm 101 00:04:47,273 --> 00:04:49,385 gonna go in there with that turtle to 102 00:04:49,385 --> 00:04:51,329 photograph it . You're on your own 103 00:04:59,190 --> 00:05:00,912 right out of central casting . 104 00:05:12,589 --> 00:05:15,170 This is , this is the sea cliff 105 00:05:15,179 --> 00:05:17,970 buckwheat and this is the host plant of 106 00:05:17,980 --> 00:05:20,091 the buckwheat blue butterfly that you 107 00:05:20,091 --> 00:05:22,036 guys came here to see . I actually 108 00:05:22,036 --> 00:05:25,589 found this one on base in 2005 . 109 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:28,142 You discovered a new species right here 110 00:05:28,142 --> 00:05:30,253 on base . Yeah , that's pretty cool . 111 00:05:30,253 --> 00:05:32,429 There's lots of new species in areas 112 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:34,440 like this . If you look small , 113 00:05:39,399 --> 00:05:41,869 it's no accident that these lands look 114 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:44,250 as good as they do . Act as well as 115 00:05:44,260 --> 00:05:47,709 they do save species like they do in a 116 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,570 world grown weary and worn down . These 117 00:05:50,579 --> 00:05:52,750 places offer hope , hope for the 118 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,839 survival of species , hope for habitats . 119 00:05:56,089 --> 00:05:59,450 Inspiration for all of us , saving 120 00:05:59,459 --> 00:06:01,070 nature going forward must be 121 00:06:01,070 --> 00:06:04,190 intentional . This place proves it . It 122 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:06,790 says it's always been thanks to time 123 00:06:06,890 --> 00:06:10,619 diligence and perseverance . They're 124 00:06:10,630 --> 00:06:12,910 saving species every day here 125 00:06:14,660 --> 00:06:15,720 that gives me hope .