Conservation: There was a point in my life when just hearing the word caused me to think of granola-eating hippies chaining themselves to bulldozers by their dreadlocks to save a tree they named “Grandfather.” I used to think of it as an overly Bohemian, non-conformist, liberal practice that simply gave certain people the excuse to
“In a civilized and cultivated country, wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen.”—Theodore Roosevelt Few of our nation’s great leaders stand out more than Theodore Roosevelt. First taking office in 1901 after the assassination of William McKinley, he guided a nation still divided and reeling from the Civil War decades
Although most deer are known for their flight response—choosing to run at startling speed to escape predators—moose evolved to fight. These lumbering tanks of the forest became bigger and stronger than the predators that hunted them, able to endure by beating back threats to their lives. Now, though, there is a threat to the mighty
Everyone loves a good comeback story. The classic tale of the little guy fighting his way back against impossible odds to win the day. There are hundreds of blockbuster movies out there with that very premise. Right now, in the American West, there is a comeback story going on that would make a doozy of
The Mojave Desert is one of those extraordinary places that exemplifies the persistence of life. Often viewed as among the most barren, desolate places in the world—where nothing exists but sand and cacti—deserts like this are actually teeming with life. Blooms of wildflowers extend to the horizon. Herds of deer and sheep follow the waters
In an age where man’s desire to modernize and exploit the natural world has oozed its way across the planet in an unyielding tide of consumption, Alaska has so far remained mostly untouched. The state has somehow held its ground against the pounding waves of development, remaining a beacon of wilderness on the shores of
