Last Friday, September 25th, Bruce Ward, the President of Choose Outdoors joined Williams College for our weekly Log Lunch. Choose Outdoors is a coalition for outdoor activities and interests. Their goal is to increase the use of the outdoors for recreational purposes. Choose Outdoors‘ current focus is to overcome threats to outdoor recreation.
Mr. Ward told the room that he feels a particular responsibility because most of his childhood memories come from experiences he had growing up in the outdoors. He is very passionate that future generations feel the same.
However, Ward shared that he was visiting Williams College because he is very concerned about what future generations may or may not have the chance to do based on a public threat to outdoor landscapes.
Chris Stefanik with Bruce Ward outside of Log Lunch
One of Bruce Ward’s greatest achievements was the creation of a trail from Canada to Mexico. During this project, Ward worked with people of all ethnicities and occupations: He worked with displaced Natives and Hispanics, farmers and oil and gas companies. After fifteen years, the trail was complete, and it led to his greater understanding of what was happening in the West. He realized he wanted to connect everyone to support a common goal. Therefore, he started Choose Outdoors.
One of the most recent goals of Choose Outdoors to link different recreational activities, for example, hiking and biking. Ward believes that too much time is spent fighting between these activities and not enough time is spent fighting FOR the landscape both use.
Mr. Ward mentioned a few threats to public lands that Choose Outdoors is taking part in addressing.
1. Mountain Pine Needle Epidemic: There are over 50 million acres of dead trees. Ward’s question is: Is this nature taking its course or should we attempt to prevent this happening again? Should these dead trees be used or left where they lay?
2. Wildfires: Recently, the costs of fighting wildfires have risen due to the large increase in wildfires occurring each year. With the obvious crisis, money is not being spent on prevention tactics. Fires need to be prevented in order to save money in the long run and to save money for recreation to get people back out into nature.
3. “Natural Deficit Disorder:” The idea of “Natural Deficit Disorder” has driven Ward’s goals for Choose Outdoors. The lack of interaction between children and the outdoors in recent years is causing major crises in public health. Due to this crisis, ADD, obesity, and diabetes are going through the roof. Children are too focused on technology to go outside. If the next generation is not connected to nature, how can they fight for it?
4. “Public Lands Heist:” The political debate over the idea that some states would like to sell and privatize public lands. Ward argues that lands must remain federal. Without public lands, people cannot reconnect to the landscape around them.
Although he is very passionate about these topics and would like to make a change, Bruce Ward reminded the audience that he is not an academic or a lobbyist. He just loves the outdoors. When you can chase your bliss or passion, things are not unattainable. Things come together the more ou express what you are here for. He reminded the audience to cherish lands and make sure that you are here and committed to protecting them. It is “Your time to act.”
-Caroline Beckmann, ’17