Cover photo courtesy of Shallan Knowles
Public lands are more than just beautiful scenery or places on a map—they are living landscapes that often preserve remnants of native plant and animal ecosystems that once spread unfettered across vast expanses of wild nature. At the same time, our state and federal public lands, numbering in millions of acres here in the Inland Northwest, are a source of adventure, inspiration and solace. Whether it’s a short hike in the Dishman Hills or Pine Street Woods, a weekend up at Priest Lake, or a weeklong adventure in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, these well-loved places offer a chance for us to step away from overly curated, technology-saturated lives to rewild ourselves just a bit. Even if we aren’t aware that it’s happening, we reconnect in subtle ways to a past when the lives of humans and the billions of other incredible life forms we share this planet with were much more intertwined.
Photo: Shallan Knowles
We are so incredibly fortunate to live in a place with such easy access to the outdoors, with miles of trails and open spaces owned by all of us. But with such privilege comes the responsibility to limit our impact on often fragile relationships between all of the growing, buzzing, flying, ambling, and slithering things that make their homes where we play. It’s also our responsibility to continue moving forward conservation efforts by cultivating a “give back” ethic, whether it’s volunteering for a trail or restoration project, taking the time to lobby public lands agencies and elected officials in support of conservation initiatives, or donating to the organizations that safeguard our favorite places.
In the following stories, four Out There Outdoors writers share how public lands have transformed their lives. In their stories, we see why protecting and managing these places for the greater good matters now more than ever. (OTO)
The post How Public Lands Inspire, Heal, and Transform Lives in the Inland Northwest appeared first on Out There Outdoors.
Public lands are more than just beautiful scenery or places on a map—they are living landscapes that often preserve remnants of native plant and animal ecosystems that once spread unfettered across vast expanses of wild nature. At the same time, our state and federal public lands, numbering in millions of acres here in the Inland Northwest, are a source of adventure, inspiration and solace. Whether it’s a short hike in the Dishman Hills or Pine Street Woods, a weekend up at Priest Lake, or a weeklong adventure in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, these well-loved places offer a chance for us to step away from overly curated, technology-saturated lives to rewild ourselves just a bit. Even if we aren’t aware that it’s happening, we reconnect in subtle ways to a past when the lives of humans and the billions of other incredible life forms we share this planet with were much more intertwined.
Photo: Shallan Knowles
We are so incredibly fortunate to live in a place with such easy access to the outdoors, with miles of trails and open spaces owned by all of us. But with such privilege comes the responsibility to limit our impact on often fragile relationships between all of the growing, buzzing, flying, ambling, and slithering things that make their homes where we play. It’s also our responsibility to continue moving forward conservation efforts by cultivating a “give back” ethic, whether it’s volunteering for a trail or restoration project, taking the time to lobby public lands agencies and elected officials in support of conservation initiatives, or donating to the organizations that safeguard our favorite places.
In the following stories, four Out There Outdoors writers share how public lands have transformed their lives. In their stories, we see why protecting and managing these places for the greater good matters now more than ever. (OTO)
The post How Public Lands Inspire, Heal, and Transform Lives in the Inland Northwest appeared first on Out There Outdoors.