Public Land

#BlackLivesMatter, Black Lives Matter, Commentary, Essays, National Geographic, National Monuments, National Parks, Public Land, Unhidden, Yellowstone, Yosemite / 13.02.2023

On a recent visit to Yellowstone National Park, I had the chance to see with my own eyes for the first time the inscription carved over the Roosevelt Arch. Previously I had only seen pictures. I have the rare privilege to be among the many writers and scholars who serve as topic experts on National Geographic Expeditions to remote areas around the world. This landmark in particular was a gap in my pedigree that I was very happy to fill. It's in these moments when I am happy...

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Diversity, Interview, National Geographic, National Monuments, National Parks, Podcast, Public Land / 19.12.2022

The protection of public land requires the broad ranging vision and leadership of federal service professionals at the highest levels. As the 19th Director of the National Park Service Charles F. Sams III is guiding the management of a complexed agency that oversees the protection of 63 National Parks and more than 420 individual monuments, battlefields, lakeshores and grasslands. A member of the Confederate Tribes of the Umatilla Indians, Sams is the first Native American to serve as the administrator of the memorial sites that preserve our natural history...

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Capitol Christmas Tree, 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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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 In National Parks Week, Black Lives Matter, Diversity, National Geographic, National Parks, Podcast, Public Land, Unhidden / 09.03.2022

A few weeks before his 80th birthday, I had the rare pleasure to speak by phone to the 15th director of the National Park Service Robert Stanton. From his home in Maryland, Mr. Stanton shared with me a personal history of his career as a leading figure in the preservation of public land as well as the enduring legacy of our heritage as a nation. Born in 1940, as Black American Stanton was subjected to the racially focused prohibitions of the Jim Crow era that denied him access...

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#BlackLivesMatter, Black Lives Matter, Diversity, National Parks, Podcast, Public Land, Unhidden / 18.02.2022

Long before the National Park Service was established, the geological site commonly known as Mammoth Cave in the state of Kentucky was a popular tourist attraction. Open to the public for guided tours beginning in 1830’s this massive labyrinth of underground caverns and tunnels was first explored by enslaved people whose legacy of stewardship spans more than 5 generations. A Black man named Stephen Bishop lead much of the earliest explorations of the cave system and named many of the most prominent features. An expert on the largest...

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