Hometown: Ridgway, Colorado
Volunteer and member since: 2019
I’m a member of the Great Old Broads for Wilderness and a broadband leader for the Northern San Juan Broadband. In June 2019, we partnered with the Trust for a volunteer trip.
I’ve long been fascinated by grazing on Western lands and knew that the cows and sheep were having an impact, but until the “Where Cows Don’t Graze” volunteer trip, I didn’t know how to evaluate those impacts. Now I can share my understanding with my fellow broads. For a first-time Trust volunteer, I received an incredible education, and I value that this training and new knowledge may help guide future land-management actions on the plateau.
I spent my career working in environmental education and retired in 2014 from the Ridgway Public Schools. I realized I could impact public- lands policies by encouraging people, especially youth, to connect with the land and understand land-use history.
Wild places truly saved my life. Now that I’m retired, I want to give back and make sure that I’m speaking for the things that cannot speak for themselves—the river, the snowpack, the species of this land, the air. Nature has intrinsic value, and I advocate for wild lands to make sure future generations can benefit from and experience wild lands too.
Also in this issue:
Hunters and anglers are big on conservation in the Grand Canyon region. Read more ›