The Wildlands Conservancy is an organization whose contributions have been instrumental to the creation of the Sand to Snow and the Mojave Trails National Monuments. We spoke with Jack Thompson, the Regional Director of their desert preserve, about the importance of the two national monuments and the work of The Wildlands Conservancy.
Read MoreDesignated in 2014 and covering ~500,000 acres, the Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument appeared to rank high on the list of contenders that could be scaled back by the presidential administration. Interview with David Crider, owner of Southwest Expeditions.
Read More"When you go to Basin and Range you have to think about that notion of sitting on a beach and looking out at the ocean (...) it’s that same kind of serene feeling, similar to sitting on the prairie and looking at its vastness." Interview with Jim Boone, coordinator of efforts to create a local support group for the new national monument.
Read MoreCarrizo Plain National Monument is the largest remaining native grassland in the state of California, and though technically not part of the Central Valley (there’s a small mountain range that divides them), the ecosystem within the monument is very similar to that which made up most of the Central Valley prior to it being converted to agriculture. We had the opportunity to speak to both Neil Havlik and Steph Wald with the Carrizo Plain Conservancy, which is currently actively trying to increase the monument’s size.
Read MoreA summary of some essential facts that need to be known in a conversation regarding national monuments in the US, in the context of the presidential review.
Read MoreTucked between the Caliente Range and the Temblor Range lies a unique ecosystem. Most of California's San Joaquin Valley's grasslands have been converted to industrial, agricultural, or urban use - but the Carrizo Plain National Monument is a safe haven for grasses and wildflowers, harboring unique species and bringing visitors from around the world during years when the conditions are just right to cause an explosion of color during the occasional super bloom. In fact, it is the largest single native grassland remaining in California.
Read MoreStretching across seven counties, the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument is an incredibly diverse conservation land in northern California. Despite its beauty, we found that it remains mostly unknown among locals and visitors to the region alike.
Read MoreWe loved this national monument because it defies our standards of beauty, which define what we consider important to protect. It’s also a testimony to the resilience of nature on a 196,000 acres piece of land, surrounded by ecological disaster and extensive agriculture.
Read MoreFloating down the Upper Missouri River is like entering one of those paintings you often see of the west from the 1800s: dry rugged hillsides, with a lush riparian valley filled with wildlife that drink from and depend upon the life-giving waters of the Missouri River.
Read MoreA collection of photos from New Mexico's Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument and Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.
Read MoreThe protection of nature is intricately connected with the protection of the Mayan identities within the authentic Maya Ka’an destination. With shared ownership rights over the land and jungles, the village cooperatives are aware of the power that their decisions have in dictating the faith of the natural ecosystems
Read More"They should head to Maya Ka’an if they want to be off the beaten path and help conservation efforts, while getting in contact with the Mayan communities." An interview with Gonzalo Merediz Alonso, Executive Director of Amigos de Sian Ka'an, about an incredible destination away from the Mayan Riviera's crowds.
Read MoreOn a land destined to be logged, some of the most pristine valdivian temperate forests are now protected by this Nature Conservancy reserve. With its rugged coasts, ancient trees, impressive sand dunes, and local culture, it is a beautiful place to explore. Interview with Liliana Pezoa, administrator of the reserve.
Read MoreOver the last few decades, a major effort has been in the works to create one of the world’s greatest natural wonders: a connected system of national parks through one of the planet’s great wildernesses. Chile’s Route of Parks, or Ruta de los Parques, will create a chain of 17 national parks, crossing 1,500 miles of Chile, from the northern Valdivian temperate rainforests of Patagonia, to the windswept southern reaches of the continent.
Read MoreOn the western coast of the Island of Chiloé lies a privately protected area of 1,120 ha (2,768 acres), which is a lesson on the power that a handful of determined individuals have to produce change. An interview with Gonzalo Pineda, Director of the Ahuenco Park.
Read MoreIt is often the jaw-dropping mountains, untouched fiords, hanging glaciers, and pristine forests that bring us to the remote land of Chilean Patagonia; but the wildlife that lives here can be just as impressive.
Read MoreTantauco Park is a large-scale private conservation initiative, protecting 118,000 ha of wilderness at the southern tip of the Island of Chiloé. Hiking here was one of the biggest adventures we've had in Chilean Patagonia, as we went accompanied by a massive storm rushing through the island. An interview with Alan Bannister, General Manager of Tantauco.
Read MoreTantauco Park, or Parque Tantauco, is a well-built, well-managed conservation project that is working hard to protect and restore the extremely rare Guaitecas cypress and its ecosystem. For visitors, the park hosts over 130 km of well-built trails, as well as domes, a lodge and backcountry cabins. A description of the hike through this beautiful park.
Read MoreThe future Patagonia National Park’s trails take visitors through some of the most beautiful areas of Valle Chacabuco, crossing forests, grasslands, alpine meadows, and glacial rivers.
Read More"The quality of the products is, therefore, incomparable. Every lettuce, every carrot grows at its full potential and the nutritional value is at its highest". A lesson on sustainable living and mindful food production from Francisco Vio, head gardener in the Patagonia Park.
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