Author: James Edward Mills

Alaska, National Parks, New Century Vision, Short Story, Sierra Club, We are the Arctic / 04.07.2016

There on the Arctic tundra I searched my tent frantically for a lighter. Years of wilderness training had taught me the importance of fire, but never before had the need been greater than it was at that moment. Even as the glacial ice melted around me in the heat of an Alaskan summer I shivered in desperate need to turn spark to flame and provide the relief these dire circumstances demanded. Just the day before I had mused without irony how seldom, if ever, I had lit a fire...

Diversity, Magazines, New Century Vision, Outdoor Retailer, SNEWS / 01.07.2016

[caption id="attachment_2063885" align="aligncenter" width="536"] National Park Ranger Shelton Johnson welcomes visitors to Yosemite[/caption] Under my feeth the inflatable stand-up paddling board felt unsteady. The rushing water of the Colorado River took some getting used to as I marveled at the sheer walls of towering sandstone all around me. I feathered the blade of my paddle in sculling strokes to hold my position as the five boats in our party took up their positions behind me and we made ready to get underway. It was the third morning of a 16-day...

Commentary, New Century Vision, We are the Arctic / 21.06.2016

When you think of the Arctic it’s hard to imagine what that really means. The first images that come to mind likely include vast tracts of ice and snow expanding far out into an infinite horizon full of emptiness. Seemingly hostile to all forms life this northernmost sector of our country conjures up thoughts of a desolate wasteland meant to be avoided, even feared. But contrary to popular belief the region along the Alaskan coast of the Arctic Ocean is a diverse and thriving ecosystem. Rich with a wide variety...

Commentary, Diversity, New Century Vision, The Centennial Initiative / 09.06.2016

Like most of us, I have a lot to learn about diversity and inclusion. The very nature of this important work is fraught with more than a few opportunities mistep and tragically contribute to the very circumstances we are striving to overcome. As I am literally packing my bags for the next leg of my current mission I must pause  to express my sincere regret and to apologize for a profound error in judgement. I recently announced the launch of reporting project to explore the merits of efforts to make...

Adventure Activism, National Forests, National Parks, New Century Vision / 06.06.2016

After 16 days of rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon I was still covered in a fine layer of dust and sand. Even having taken a shower eariler that morning I carried that residual film of grime you inevitably accumulate while camping. Noseblind to my own body odor I'm sure that I stank, but with a few hours left to kill before my flight back home to Wisconsin I just had to make a visit to the Canyon Rim for one last look and to begin the...

Commentary, Life Out Loud, National Parks / 09.05.2016

People tell me I have a problem. When I go out with friends or whenever I'm alone I am constantly working the buttons of my iPhone. Texting, updating my Facebook status, posting photos to Instagram I'm constantly plugged into to the Internet world of Social Media. But despite being so thoroughly connect with thousands of people around the planet I have never been so disengaged from the world in which I live. As a communications professional I enjoy the excuse of endulging this online obsession as acts of necessity....