February - Nordic Skier


Nordic skiing! I love the blend of hard work and effortless glide. Shushing along in the pines, far from the roar of engines, in communion with the land: this is happiness, this is freedom, this is refreshment of the very best kind. Soul sustenance.

Peaceful outdoor experiences nurture a love and respect for our landscape family, helping to bring diverse voices to the table where decisions are made about land stewardship: skiers, hunters, mountain bikers, hikers, and others turn their outdoor passions into conservation action by engaging in a collaborative process together.

For over 30 years now, my 2024 conservation partner the Blackfoot Challenge has been working with locals and agencies to conserve the land, waters and wildlife of the Blackfoot Watershed. 

People of every stripe, size, shape and view have been coming together at the table to prioritize collaboration over division because healthy land is worth it. Clear, clean, complex waters.  Biodiverse animal and plant populations.  Thriving ecological systems where  species of concern, threatened and endangered species can return, thrive and continue. 

So, hey hey, what is a special place that you love and care for? Do you collaborate with a non-profit partner or agency?

Let’s all step up to tend the landscapes we care about, our places of happiness, freedom and sustenance.

Pass it on!

January - Canada Lynx

Greetings!

January has swept in and I am praying for snow. Here is the background story on the January page in my 2024 Stewardship Calendar.

I carved this woodcut after talking with folks up in the Blackfoot on what a conservation stories they wanted to tell visually about their watershed…

Listed as an endangered species, the Canada Lynx depends on subalpine forests and areas where dense forest cover and deep snow support their main prey - snowshoe hares.

Each winter, my conservation partner, the Blackfoot Challenge, takes part in lynx monitoring efforts to help undestand popyulation and habitat changes.

Carving the hair, especially the whiskers, was fascinating and very delicate work. I look forward to spending more time learning about the lynx, and tracking it in the Seeley Swan this winter, if I have the good fortune to run across their tracks.

Happy New Year! May 2024 bring you and your family health and happiness.