Commentary

Commentary, Diversity, Environmental Justice, Essays / 11.10.2016

Fall chores had preempted my regularly scheduled Sunday morning rituals. Yoga would have to wait as I raked the first round of fallen leaves from the lawn and prepared a pile of yard waste in anticipation of a Thursday pick-up. Sasha came bounding into the garden like a black scud missile on target to obliterate my efforts in a flurry of paws and her wagging tail. Our puppy loves the displacement of splashing puddles and swirling leaves as she turns every moment of our lives into a happy...

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Commentary, Diversity, National Parks, New Century Vision, On Assignment, Yosemite / 07.09.2016

As fate would have it, I was heading to Yosemite any way. It was just a few days in advance of my departure on a two-week Joy Trip with stops in California then Utah, a sharp right turn to Washington DC and back to California. I had already arranged a few interviews to gain some additional perspective on the role that people of color play in efforts to protect and preserve the natural world. So when a travel editor from the Guardian newspaper in London contacted by email...

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Alaska, Commentary, Destinations, New Century Vision, Public Land / 20.07.2016

[caption id="attachment_2063930" align="aligncenter" width="641"] Photo by Carly Harmon[/caption] Ahead in the distance I saw seagulls. The birds swooped and dived over the remains of a butchered whale as we walked along a narrow gravel trail lined with ancient gasoline barrels that rimmed the landing trip. On Barter Island with time to kill before our flight back to Fairbanks, photographer Carly Harmon and I went in search of a rumor near the Inupiat village of Kaktovic at the edge of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. “There was a polar bear sighting...

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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...

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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...

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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....

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