National Parks

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...

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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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Books, Cool on Kickstarter, National Parks / 24.02.2016

Few things in the human experience are more profound than the power of storytelling. Dating back to the days of our earliest ancestors members of our tribe gathered around the fire at night to share their experiences of life on Earth. Camped under a blanket of stars primitive men and women recounted their adventures of the hunt or a newly discovered landscape rich with food and shelter to the marvel of their kin eager to hear more exciting tales. The long tradition of fireside storytelling endures to this...

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Adventure Activism, Capitol Christmas Tree, National Forests, National Parks, On Assignment, Social Media, Special Events / 26.10.2015

I never thought it would come to this. After years of railing on and on about the early arrival of the holiday season I suddenly find myself utterly and completely complicit in its delivery! Even though we have yet to celebrate Halloween today I am excited for the prospects of seeking out an evergreen for decorating. But this is no ordinary spruce. The Christmas tree I aim to acquire will stand on the grounds of U.S. Capitol Building as a symbol of peace for the American People. As an...

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Adventure Activism, An American Ascent, Book Tour, Charitable Giving, Diversity, Kids in Nature, National Parks, Special Events, The Adventure Gap / 21.10.2015

For some reason I couldn’t get the song to play. After having spent hours getting the introduction just right I’d be damned if I was going to let the opening frames of this film presentation go without music. Trying not to panic I simply reconfigured the audio file from .AIFF to .MP3 and it played flawlessly. Jake Shimabukuro’s tune Dragon flowed in perfect sync with the animated text and the logos of the Madison-based nonprofit groups this screening of An American Ascent aimed to support. With a free...

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Commentary, Destinations, Diversity, Fly Fishing, Kids in Nature, National Parks, Outdoor Recreation, Social Media / 02.09.2015

As summer draws to a close across North America I have noticed something most profound. After more than 20 years as a professional in the outdoor recreation industry I’ve begun to see more people of color than ever before venturing out into the natural world. This is of course an anecdotal observation base not in fact. But the depth and volume of stories and photographs posted to social media reveals to me that things have indeed changed. I am both encouraged and inspired by the bold exciting ways...

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