Author: James Edward Mills

Choose Outdoors, Environmental Protection, National Forests, Native Culture, Public Land, U.S. Forest Service / 14.11.2022

After eight years of following the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree I often forget that not everyone has heard about it. Though the People’s Tree is harvested from a different national forest every year, the primary tenants of the story remain the same. Our goal is to educate a broad general audience on the amazing work performed by the USDA Forest Service to protect and preserve the precious natural resources of tall trees across America. Organized by the nonprofit Choose Outdoors, we put together a coalition of support among...

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#BlackLivesMatter, Book Review, Books, Diversity, Green Economics, Sustainable Living, Urban Parks, Urban Revitalization / 27.10.2022

Through of the much of the last century, urban neighborhoods populated by Black and brown people, have been defined as places where not to live. Our long history of redlining, deliberate housing discrimination, crime, environmental pollution and benign neglect has systematically made residing in these communities of color undesirable. Success for the brightest and most talented individuals born in these areas is most often expressed by how far their education, talent and hard work can allow them to escape from the sidewalks, streets, shops and storefronts that their...

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Adventure Activism, Everyone In A Park, National Forests, National Monuments, National Parks, Public Land, Sierra Club, U.S. Forest Service / 07.10.2022

Every year on my birthday I renew my annual National Park pass. This small monetary investment of $80 provides me with access to hundreds of federally managed recreation areas and historic monuments across the United States. I am truly grateful for a lifetime of joy and adventure in the exploration of our public lands and national heritage sites. To assure their continued protection for years to come I make a gift of a second park pass to someone in our community who can truly use it. This year...

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#BlackLivesMatter, Black Lives Matter, Diversity, Fly Fishing, On Assignment, Outdoor Recreation / 12.09.2022

Few things in life are easier than preparing a meal of left-overs. Or so you might think. When we gathered a group of environmental activists to share a summertime retreat on the shores of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I’m sure that I went far above and beyond in cooking dinner on the two previous evenings of our three-night stay. We had more than we needed to eat. Long experience as a camp chef has made me a bit paranoid when it comes to having...

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#BlackLivesMatter, Black In National Parks Week, Black Lives Matter, Commentary, Diversity / 23.08.2022

More than a year ago I received a disappointing message via email. I had recently published an article in National Geographic Travel about an experience I shared guiding a group of Black and Latino outdoor leaders from Detroit and Grand Rapids Michigan on their first ice climbing trip. Amid the Covid-19 Pandemic, with the support of grant funding from the National Society and Patagonia, I put together a modest expedition to visit the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore along the frozen cliffs of Lake Superior. The purpose of this project...

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#BlackLivesMatter, Books, Diversity, Nelson Institute, Outdoors For All, TED, The Joy Trip Reading Project, Travel / 15.08.2022

The Joy Trip Reading Project is excited to announce our Fall 2022 line-up of books and authors. Our learning community continues to grow through the engagement of nationally recognized scholars who address the myriad issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in all expressions of human endeavor. As we slowly wind out of summer and begin thinking about our plans for shorter days in cooler weather, we hope that our list of titles from these thoughtful and inspiring authors will lead to rousing discussions over the next several months....

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