“I’m losing precious days. I’m degenerating into a machine for making money.” Have you ever felt this way? So did John Muir, who penned those words, then concluded: “I must break away, get out into the mountains.”

While reading a biography of the iconic conservationist, filmmaker Michael Coleman was struck by how relevant his writings remain today. Coleman had just finished up a big project and was ready to do a little breaking away himself.

“So much of the work I do is indoors,” Coleman told Sierra over the phone. “It’s not until I get outside that I am able to think creatively.”

He decided to create a short film about John Muir, which gave him an excuse to roam Muir Woods north of San Francisco. It also took him to Martinez, California, where Muir’s family home is maintained by the National Park Service. Coleman grew up in Martinez, so Muir had never been a distant voice from the past, but a real presence: “I always felt like he was around.” The clip includes shots of personal items preserved at the ranch, like Muir’s eyeglasses and books.

The publication of Coleman’s film is timed to coincide with John Muir’s 178th birthday on April 21. The following day is Earth Day. Then in August, the National Park Service celebrates its 100th anniversary. Founded two years after Muir’s death, it was indelibly shaped by his tireless advocacy for preserving and protecting America’s earliest parks.

You can celebrate all three of these seminal events by watching this short but poignant tribute to John Muir. Then go and get out into the mountains.