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STEWARDSHIP

Restoring public lands to their full splendor; Protecting them in the face of unprecedented threats.

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Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Tennessee Wilderness Act with Wilderness Trail Work

Volunteers conduct trail maintenance on Sampson Mountain with the Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards

Credit: Bill Hodge

November 4, 2011 - I am swinging a pulaski deep into the ground, hoping to chip off a nice large chunk of soil. I am on Sampson Mountain on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Tennessee Wilderness Act of 1986, doing trail maintenance in this magnificent wilderness. It is a gorgeous October day and I am working together with six volunteers, all of us swinging pulaskis and hoes, eager to repair the tread on this trail so that others can venture up here and enjoy the stunning view.   Region:  Southeast more

A Subtle Kind of Wilderness

Adobe Badlands, Colorado

Credit: Barbara Hawke

October 25, 2011 - Last Saturday I was able to join 30 enthusiastic hikers  to explore a kind of wilderness that is different than what we often think of as "wilderness" – the subtle, enigmatic hills and valleys of the Adobe Badlands. The Adobe Badlands are unique in many ways, a maze of soft yellow shale that supports extremely rare plants and creatures that survive the harsh conditions in this starkly arid landscape. Region:  Central Rockies more

Longing for the call of the Whippoorwill: A reflection

Scotty Bowman reclines while taking in the view during his summer working as a crew leader for the SAWS program

Credit: Scotty Bowman

October 20, 2011 - Autumn on the horizon, there is a coolness in the night air and the days are getting shorter. I am sitting on my front porch recalling the first time I used a crosscut saw last summer. That’s when I first met The Wilderness Society’s Bill Hodge and when I cut my first tree – an experience that prompted me to spend nine weeks with the Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards (SAWS) as a crew leader. Region:  Northeast more

Pebble Mine voted down by Bristol Bay but still looms as a threat

October 18, 2011 - Developers can never again claim that residents of Alaska’s Lake and Peninsula Borough want them to build the dangerous Pebble Mine at the headwaters of Bristol Bay. In a major victory for opponents of the mine, voters in the Bristol Bay region have passed the Save Our Salmon initiative, which would prohibit the borough from issuing permits for mining projects that would threaten to destroy salmon habitat. Region:  Alaska more