Rocky Mountain Wilderness Gathering!

On the weekend of October 11, 55 people representing 15 different wilderness

alliance and public lands groups from across Colorado and Wyoming met at the

Keystone Science School! The goal was to learn from one another how

best to fulfill their missions to protect the wild places under their care.

This year’s Rocky Mountain Wilderness Gathering, hosted by Eagle Summit

Wilderness Alliance, began with a talk entitled “Wild America,” by author,

adventurer, and environmentalist Jon Waterman. Waterman’s inspiring slide and

video show highlighted the value of wilderness and wild places, especially in these

days when the future of those lands is in jeopardy.

One of the highlights of the gathering was a panel on advocacy. At a time when so

many of us have concerns over the protection of wild lands and are asking what to

do now, it was helpful to hear the voices of experience from participating

organizations about how to take action. Various avenues for effective advocacy,

including educating the public, building coalitions and taking political action, were

discussed.

A highlight of the advocacy panel was the participation of District 8 Sen. Dylan

Roberts. Sen. Roberts was particularly helpful in educating the audience about the

political process, how best to connect with one’s representatives (regardless of

political leanings) and how to effect change in the political arena. His commitment

to the preservation of our public lands for the enjoyment of all in our district was

inspiring.

This gathering also provided the opportunity for participating organizations to

share best practices on such topics as volunteer recruitment and retention,

training, outreach and fundraising. Informal social time also allowed attendees to

build interpersonal connections for further communication and collaboration. Please consider joining us next year!

JOIN