Wilderness Skills Institute

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NWSI 2022 Sessions

There are 6 different tracks for the National Wilderness Skills Institute including Combined Sessions, Traditional Skills, Visitor Use Management, Wilderness I, Wilderness II, and Wild & Scenic Rivers. Click on each track to jump to the sessions for the track.



Track Description: A few larger sessions have been developed that cross all tracks including the opening keynote session, leadership training, and a closing discussion around take-aways and next steps.

Sessions: 

Welcome

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/vAlVTKcPCR4
    • Decription:
      • Welcome Message from NWSI Core Team
      • Opening Remarks from USDA Forest Service Chief Randy Moore

Keynote – What kind of an ancestor do you want to be?

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/X7dkws9C6hk
    • Keynote Description:
      Dr. John Hausdoerffer will present an interactive session based on his book, What kind of an ancestor do you want to be? As we face an ever-more-fragmented world, What Kind of Ancestor Do You Want to Be? demands a return to the force of lineage—to spiritual, social, and ecological connections across time. It sparks a myriad of ageless-yet-urgent questions: How will I be remembered? What traditions do I want to continue? What cycles do I want to break? What new systems do I want to initiate for those yet-to-be-born? How do we endure? Published in association with the Center for Humans and Nature and interweaving essays, interviews, and poetry, this book brings together a thoughtful community of Indigenous and other voices—including Linda Hogan, Wendell Berry, Winona LaDuke, Vandana Shiva, Robin Kimmerer, and Wes Jackson—to explore what we want to give to our descendants. It is an offering to teachers who have come before and to those who will follow, a tool for healing our relationships with ourselves, with each other, and with our most powerful ancestors—the lands and waters that give and sustain all life.
    • Recommended Pre-Work:
      Listen or read “What Do You Owe The Mountains Around You?”
    • Keynote Presenter:
      John Hausdoerffer is a teacher, author, and organizational leader from Crested Butte, CO. His authored and co-edited books include Catlin’s Lament: Indians, Manifest Destiny, and the Ethics of Nature; Wildness: Relations of People and Place; Kinship: Belonging in a World of Relations; and What Kind of Ancestor Do You want to Be? He serves as the Dean of the Clark School of Environment & Sustainability at Western Colorado University and has co-founded organizations such as Coldharbour Institute, the Resilience Studies Consortium, and the Mountain Resilience Coalition. His favorite job was leading a rag-tag group of wilderness trail workers in Rocky Mountain National Park in 1998. More info: http://www.JHausdoerffer.com

This is Who We Are: Leadership Stance & Habits

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/6A6guiO0d8U
    • Description:
      Everyone of us is a leader. Over the course of a day, a week, a year, a whole career, each of us can lead in our work, regardless of a job title. Learn about the stances and habits of effective and successful leadership in conservation and stewardship work.
    • Presenter:
      • Colter Pence, Wilderness, Wild & Scenic Rivers, and Trails Program Manager, Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger District, Flathead National Forest
    • Resources:

Agency and U.S. Forest Service Regional Breakout Session

    • not recorded
    • Description:
      Join a breakout room based on your agency or location to participate in agency-specific or U.S. Forest Service regional presentations, group discussions, and project showcases. The goal is to build relationships that hopefully result in some synergy moving forward on projects or future regional training events.
    • Breakout Rooms:
      • Bureau of Land Management
      • National Park Service
      • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
      • U.S. Forest Service:
        • Northern Region: northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and northwestern South Dakota
        • Rocky Mountain Region: Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas
        • Southwestern Region: Arizona and New Mexico
        • Intermountain Region: Utah, Nevada, western Wyoming, and southern Idaho
        • Pacific Southwest Region: California, Hawaii, and Pacific Islands
        • Pacific Northwest Region: Washington and Oregon
        • Southern Region: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Puerto Rico
        • Eastern Region: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Vermont, and West Virginia
        • Alaska Region: Alaska

Wild Yoga

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/vFbmSw92uQE
    • Description:
      Join Kathleen Pangan, a registered yoga teacher and former SAWS Wilderness Specialist in a lovely natural setting in Mount Rogers National Recreation Area for 30 minutes of movement in an outdoor setting. Take this break in your day to wake up, focus, breathe, stretch your muscles, strengthen your body, and enjoy some healthy screen time….outdoors if you can, or in your own home space. Enjoy!
    • Presenter:
      • Kathleen Pangan, Wilderness Specialist, Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards

Situational Leadership

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/_JgGEw6ydng
    • Description:
      Strong teams and competent leaders can transform any organization. This session focuses on the development of influential teams and leaders through the Situational Leadership model, enabling participants to:

      • Describe contributing factors to both group and individual development levels.
      • Characterize the four primary leadership styles.
      • Articulate the relationship between development levels and leadership styles.
    • Presenter:
      • Shannon Stober, Jump Start Training & Development
    • Resources:

Leave No Trace Trivia

    • Recording: Zoom Recording Link
    • Description:
      Whether you are new to Leave No Trace or consider yourself an expert, bring a friend and join the Subaru/Leave No Trace Team for this interactive game night to gain or refresh Leave No Trace skills and knowledge. After each question there will be discussion of the applicable Leave No Trace practices and principles, with quick tips covering Leave No Trace Basics and techniques for protecting your favorite outdoor spaces. Come ready to play! We will use an online trivia platform that’s a ton of fun. We recommend logging in from your laptop but having a cell phone or other device handy to play.
    • Presenters:
      • Haley Toy, Subaru/Leave No Trace Team
      • Gary Huey, Subaru/Leave No Trace Team

From knowledge to impact: A coffee-hour conversation about unpacking barriers to DEI in wilderness – continued conversation from earlier session

    • not recorded as requested by presenters
    • Description:
      Continued informal conversations on what it means to normalize and operationalize the work of DEI in wilderness. Our instincts steer us towards backing away from the DEI conversation and what we really need to do is be courageous. Leaning into what is often stated as ones growing edges, approach the conversation with openness, authenticity and vulnerability.
    • Presenters:
      • Kimm Fox-Middleton, Wilderness Interpretation & Outreach Specialist, Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center
      • Gaylen Beatty, Special Projects Manager and former Visitor Education Manager, Parks & Nature, Oregon Metro
      • Lauren Redmore, Research Social Scientist, Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute
    • Resources: Presentation Slides

Leadership Panel Discussion

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/N3vX230PxzI
    • Description:
      Bring your curiosities to a panel discussion on what leadership in conservation and stewardship work looks like
    • Panelists:
      • Colter Pence, Wilderness, Wild & Scenic Rivers, and Trails Program Manager, Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger District, Flathead National Forest
      • Leanne Marten, Regional Forester, U.S. Forest Service Northern Region
      • Tim Love, Coordinator for the Montana Forest Collaboration Network
      • Risa Shimoda, Executive Director, River Management Society
      • Kaitlin de Varona, Executive Director, Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards

Take-Aways & Next Steps

    • Recordings:
    • Description:
      This week wasn’t what we wanted to do…or was it? We all came into this knowing that this training session was a needed replacement for what we would have rather done in person and within our local landscape. But what did work about the week and is there a need for some bigger connection in future years? Let’s spend one last zoom session together and toast to the wilderness and wild & scenic river adventures ahead!!
    • Presenters:
      • NWSI Core Team



Track Description: Provides a foundation for the skills needed to work in a wilderness setting. With an overview of crosscut, axes, rigging and hand tools, using pack stock, and trail maintenance techniques, participants will have a solid foundation for moving to the field to practice these skills.


Sessions:

Mastering the Basics: An Examination of the Physics, Nuances, & Mechanics of Traditional Tool Skills

Trail Maintenance Basics for Field Staff

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/LLuO76TYBug
    • Description:
      An overview of definitions of common terms, some details of trail clearing and basic tread, and a run through of the most common trail tools. this is targeted at the novice trail maintainer.
    • Presenters:
      • Jessica May, Trails Specialist, Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger District, Flathead National Forest
      • Kerry Wood, Wilderness & Trails Program Manage, Sandia Ranger District, Cibola National Forest
      • Garrett Villanueva, Pacific Southwest Regional Trail and Travel Management Program Leader, U.S. Forest Service
      • Melanie Vining, Executive Director, Idaho Trails Association

Traditional Skills and Minimum Tool Leadership Panel Discussion

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/B07fLtc3hnE
    • Description:
      Every year the USDA Forest Service recognizes and employee or crew that demonstrates outstanding initiative, creativity, and commitment to wilderness principles by accomplishing a difficult or challenging wilderness stewardship activity using traditional skills. During this panel discussion attendees will hear from some of the award recipients from the last five years as they share information about their work and the future of promoting traditional skills for wilderness work.
    • Panelists:
      • Adam Washebek, Recreation Staff Officer, Gardiner Ranger District, Custer Gallatin National Forest
      • Cindy Ebbert, Reality Specialist, Dillon Ranger District, White River National Forest
      • Kelly Pearson, Retired Wilderness Technician, Shawnee National Forest
      • Tory Hahka, Authorities Coordinator, U.S. Forest Service Eastern Region

Pack Stock

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/RDq4my7HHoo
    • Description:
      This session will use video content from last years NWSI (see Pack Stock I and Pack Stock II recordings) and bring in expert speakers for discussion/Q&A. Session will introduce participants to the capabilities of pack stock and their role in managing public lands throughout the nation. We will also discuss safely working around stock, including horse psychology, stock on the trail, all the way up to some of the safety factors that packers consider when putting a string together. Interact with a panel of professional U.S. Forest Service packers.
    • Presenters:
      • Ken Graves, Forest Packer, U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Pack Stock Center of Excellence, Co-Director, Shasta-Trinity National Forest
      • Katy Bartzokis, U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Pack Stock Center of Excellence Lead Packer, Shasta-Trinity National Forest
      • Debbie Mcdougald, Special Uses Permit Administrator & Stock Program Manager, Sierra National Forest
      • Michael Morse, Wilderness & Trails Supervisor, U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Pack Stock Center of Excellence Co-Director, Inyo National Forest

U.S. Forest Service Trail Stewardship Program

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/Eod8V_jUXs4
    • Description:
      Join the U.S. Forest Service’s Washington D.C. Office Trails Team to hear about specific actions the agency is taking to support the trails workforce and improve trail conditions on the ground. During this session, participants will learn about the 10 Year Trail Shared Stewardship Challenge- what it is, why we have it, and what to expect from it. We’ll then do a deep dive into several topics of interest to trail practitioners related to training, analyzing trail program workforce capacity, and data efforts (spoiler alert- we’re working to bring our trail data systems into the 21st century).
    • Presenters:
      • Brenda Yankoviak, National Trail Program Manager, U.S. Forest Service
      • Del Orme, Assistant National Trail Program Manager (Acting), U.S. Forest Service
      • Matt Able, Trail Data Modernization Product Owner, U.S. Forest Service
    • Resources:



Track Description: Visitor Use Management Provides participants with the tools needed to adapt to a variety of challenges and opportunities that are present in current land management settings. These sessions will go from the theoretical to the applied with an overview of the Visitor Use Management Framework and a variety of lessons from the field.

Sessions:

The Wonderful World of Visitor Use Management

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/iMLwzu0Tfdo
    • Description:
      Are you frustrated by visitor behavior? Do you want to address management challenges in a meaningful way that lasts? Do you feel like you’re lacking the tools and information you need to tackle visitor use challenges? This session will provide an introduction to visitor use management and to valuable tools that will help you tackle challenges big and small.
    • Presenter:
      • Linda Merigliano, Recreation and Wilderness Program Manager, Bridger-Teton National Forest

The Sustainable Camping & Trail Management Toolbox

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/vwKydnXKG0M
    • Description:
      This presentation will discuss the use-impact relationship and its implications for managing visitor use to minimize resource impacts. Management begins by developing a sustainable infrastructure of trails and campsites so we will discuss the most influential attributes that makes these features sustainable and how maintenance can enhance their sustainability. Next we will discuss visitor use management options, such as camping management options (dispersed, established site, and designated site), trail management options (pairing type of use to trails that are sustainable for each use), and when redistributing or limiting visitor use is necessary. Finally, we will discuss the role of visitor education and Leave No Trace practices.
    • Presenters:
      • Dr. Jeff Marion, Recreation Ecologist, Eastern Ecological Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey
      • Dr. Jeremy Wimpey, Principal, Applied Trails Research, LLC

Increasing the Relevancy of Wilderness to Diverse Visitors: Adaptions for how we communicate

Improving Public Interactions: Applying WISDOM and ART for Better Field Contacts and Visitor Use Management

To Permit or Not to Permit: Addressing Visitor Capacity

    • recording not available due to technical problems (see 2021 recording: https://youtu.be/Y54GZHYXn6w)
    • Description:
      Have you ever thought to yourself, “What is visitor capacity and how do I determine the visitor capacity of an area?” or “How would I even go about addressing visitor capacity?” or “A permit system would solve everything!” This session will provide an introduction to visitor capacity and will provide some useful tools and a framework that will help you navigate the complex world of visitor capacity.
    • Presenter:
      • Katy Nelson, Wilderness and Trails Specialist, White River National Forest

Also See: Challenges & Successes: User Capacity Monitoring on Wild & Scenic Rivers in the Wild & Scenic Rivers Track



Track Description: The Wilderness I track will take us on a journey from the beginnings of the Wilderness Act through the foundations that guide wilderness stewardship today. Learn from experienced instructors working in a variety of wilderness settings who will share their expertise in the fundamentals of wilderness history, the Wilderness Act, wilderness character, more inclusive wilderness, and the different congressionally designated areas including wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, and wilderness study areas. Woven through the sessions is the common thread of wilderness in the context of indigenous people who have been connected to these lands for time immemorial and who will be part of the lands for generations to come, as well as diverse communities and cultures who visit these lands today and those who are facing barriers to access. Join us to grow your knowledge, skills, and understanding of wilderness from the origin of an idea decades ago to stewardship of these unique and special lands in the modern day.

Sessions:

History leading up to the Wilderness Act

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/kQJJLd5Fdrw
    • Description:
      We will explore the cultural shifts that happened to launch a system of public commons, and how that shift and a vision of the future informed the subsequent movement to secure wild public lands within the framework of the larger public domain. We will explore critical moments and crucial characters, while laying open the fissures and cracks left to us by those that advocated for what we serve today.
    • Presenter:
      • Bill Hodge, Executive Director, Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation

The Fundamentals of Wilderness

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/HTS9V1RhAYE
    • Description:
      For those who are new to wilderness stewardship and anyone who wants to experience creative and interactive approaches to wilderness education. Finish the session with a deeper understanding of the wilderness as you learn about fundamental principles of the 1964 Wilderness Act, why wilderness mattered then, now, and for future generations through presentation of a creative and interactive story map. Presenters will demonstrate tools and resources through the story map that will encourage participant engagement and may inspire creative ideas for your own presentations in the future.
    • Presenters:
      • Ben Clark, Virtual Student Federal Service Intern, Pacific Northwest Wilderness, Wild & Scenic Rivers, Congressionally Designated Areas, U.S. Forest Service; Geography & History Educator, Crested Butte Community School
      • Dan Abbe, Wilderness Specialist, Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center
      • Nancy Taylor, Pacific Northwest Wilderness, Wild & Scenic Rivers, Congressionally Designated Areas Program Manager, U.S. Forest Service
    • Resources:

From knowledge to impact: A conversation about unpacking barriers to DEI in wilderness*

    • not recorded as requested by presenters
    • Description:
      This is an interactive session designed to identify impactful methods and materials to better prepare wilderness professionals around the country to support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) needs. We will begin with a discussion to share our own personal DEI-in-wilderness journeys, and then we will break out into 4 smaller focus groups to discuss what DEI barriers and knowledge gaps you face in your work in wilderness, as well as explore some successes and opportunities to build from to improve our commitment to DEI in wilderness. Come prepared to share your own stories, successes and challenges and to build ideas with others who are committed to a more inclusive future of wilderness. We are limiting registration to the first 40 participants (20 from federal agencies and 20 from stewardship groups) to allow for the opportunity for deep dialogue in smaller break-out sessions.
    • Presenters:
      • Lauren Redmore, Research Social Scientist, Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute
      • Kimm Fox-Middleton, Wilderness Interpretation & Outreach Specialist, Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center
    • Resources: Presentation Slides
    • *NOTE: This will be limited to 40 participants for a focused conversation (20 from federal agencies and 20 from stewardship groups)

Understanding Wilderness Character

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/N-egykr5RJ0
    • Description:
      Brief overview of wilderness character – how it is defined, why it matters, and what each of the 5 qualities is about. How is wilderness character used with emphasis on use at field level – communication, education.
    • Presenter:
      • Linda Merigliano, Recreation and Wilderness Program Manager, Bridger-Teton National Forest

What’s in a Title: Congressionally Designated Areas and the Planning Processes Behind Them

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/uBc0itrizY4
    • Description:
      What is recommended wilderness, or a wilderness study area? What is the difference between those land allocations and designated Wilderness and how does that impact your work? What is an eligibility or suitability study? What does it mean to have an eligible or suitable Wild and Scenic River on your unit? How does that title influence or impact your work? If you are curious about these questions than this course is for you! We will hear from several experts in this field and break down complicated planning terms and processes so that you can understand what these titles mean and what your role is in managing these areas. See you there!
    • Presenters:
      • Liz Townley, Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers Planning Specialist, U.S. Forest Service
      • Steve Chesterton, National Wild & Scenic Rivers Program Manager, U.S. Forest Service
      • Peter Mali, National Wilderness Program Manager, U.S. Forest Service
      • Mary Erickson, Forest Supervisor, Custer Gallatin National Forest



Track Description: Building upon content covered in the Wilderness I sessions, the courses in this track dives deeper into wilderness history, Wilderness Character Monitoring, research, and international wilderness topics.

Sessions:

The Wilderness Movement: Through the (Historical) Looking Glass

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/JKS-pM2aRbE
    • Description:
      In this session, Michelle Reilly, Ph.D. will present two related discussion. First, she will discuss some of the women in the early days of the wilderness movement from her article, “Beyond Secretaries, Hostesses, and Cooks: The Power, Humility, and Compassion of Women Who Battled to Save Wilderness” published in the April 2021 volume of the International Journal of Wilderness. Next, Michelle will present opposing views, namely the dualistic, backward-looking interpretation of wilderness and a forward-looking conception of wilderness supported by historical documents.
    • Presenter:
      • Dr. Michelle Reilly, National Wildlife Refuge System Wilderness Liaison, Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center &
        Wildlife Biologist & Course Leader, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center
    • Resources:

Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute Updates and Science Delivery Interactive Session

    • not recorded as requested by presenters
    • Description:
      Wilderness science, how can we best help you? Join us for this interactive session to inform our developing science delivery plan. We will begin this session with a brief introduction of the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute mission, staff, and research agenda. We will then open it up to hear from you about where you access wilderness science and how we can effectively share the most up-to-date and relevant science. Come prepared to engage in a guided discussion and to share ideas to improve wilderness science in action.
    • Presenters:
      • Chris Armatas, Research Social Scientist
      • Teresa Hollingsworth, Deputy Director
      • Lauren Redmore, Research Social Scientist
      • Jason Taylor, Director

Wilderness Character Monitoring Baselines: Best Practices for Shared Areas

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/BBe4tkQQpbo
    • Description:
      In this session we will discuss how working across multiple jurisdictions can add complexity and challenge to completing wilderness character monitoring baselines and will be sharing best practices for both agency staff and partners for working across administrative boundaries, including, district, forest/park/unit, regional, agency and international boundaries. We will be sharing examples and challenges of working across agency boundaries for BLM/USFS shared wilderness areas in California and across forest boundaries with examples from the Bob Marshall Complex and the central Sierra Nevada. We will share how efficiencies can be gained by working on multiple wildernesses on the same district or forest at the same time with examples from Los Padres National Forest and from the Southern Appalachians. We will briefly explore the unique challenges of areas that are immediately adjacent to international boundaries where data and information may be needed from agencies outside the U.S. We will share resources, such as tools and templates that are available to help you as you work to complete wilderness character narratives and baseline reports. We also spend some time sharing information about partner resources available to assist with WCM and how to obtain them or work with new partners to add capacity to help with WCM.
    • Presenters:
      • Christina Boston, Acting National Wilderness Character Monitoring Program Manager, U.S. Forest Service
      • Wilderness Character Monitoring Central Team:
        • Drew Lindsey, Data Services Specialist, U.S. Forest Service
        • Scotty Bowman, Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards
        • Jim Edmonds, Central Data Analyst, U.S. Forest Service
      • Heather MacSlarrow, Executive Director, Society for Wilderness Stewardship
      • Colter Pence, Wilderness, Wild & Scenic Rivers, and Trails Program Manager, Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger District, Flathead National Forest

International Aspects of Wilderness: Vignettes of Hope in a Conservation Landscape of Uncertainty

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/N-YDlrQcPAo
    • Description:
      Presentations on the progress being made to protect wild nature and people
    • Presentations & Presenters:
      • “Communities, Wilderness and Conservation” – Bhavna Menon, Programme Manager, Last Wilderness Foundation
        A Psychology graduate with a postgraduate degree in Journalism, Bhavna’s love for nature and the wilderness started with a visit to Kanha Tiger Reserve in the State of Madhya Pradesh, India. This trip, taken during her school days, had her smitten with the wild and inculcated in her the desire to be deeply involved in forested landscapes. For the last 13 years she has been part of wildlife conservation as the Program Manager of the Last Wilderness Foundation (LWF). The main focus areas for LWF are mitigation of Human-Wildlife conflict and the creation of alternative sources of livelihood for community members living around tiger reserves, so as to encourage community participation for landscape protection. Her dream is to continue working with tribal community members for a long time to come, and constantly expand her conservation vision and endeavors.
      • “The Value and Uses of Wilderness and Nature-based Therapy During COVID” – Jo Roberts, CEO, Wilderness Foundation UK, Outdoor Therapist, Nature Advocate
        Jo shares the work that the UK Foundation is doing to connect people to the natural world and how important this became during Covid. The Foundation has a background of many years of research into the impact of wilderness therapy trails and nature-based immersion programmes on positively impacting mental health and behavioral issues. This research is shared widely to provide evidence to why we need to protect the green and wild spaces on which our mental health and wellbeing depends.
      • “The Experience of a Wilderness Trail in Africa” – Cherryl Curry, CEO, Wilderness Leadership School, Ambassador for Wilderness
        Wilderness Trails help nurture one’s understanding of what a leader is, teamwork, ethics and judgement. The trail experience helps develop self-reliance, improves judgement, decision making, respect, and a sense of responsibility that helps leaders thrive in today’s rapidly changing business landscape. Reconnecting with nature at such a profound level changes the way you see the world; changes the way you see yourself and your experiences in the modern world.
      • “Rewilding, Animating the Carbon Cycle” – Vance Martin, President of WILD Foundation (USA) and Wilderness Foundation Global (South Africa); Founder/Chair, Wilderness Specialist Group (IUCN/WCPA)
        Our first priority as conservationists is to protect the remaining wilderness on land and sea. Our second priority is to rewild the huge amounts of land and seas that have been pounded by the hammer of human ‘development’ and are perfect and necessary candidates for rewilding. Rewilding plays a central role in meeting our climate and biodiversity targets and avert major ecosystem tipping points that are existential threats to all life on earth. Wildlife plays a virtually unknown and/or highly undervalued role in this action, one that is now being called “Animating the Carbon Cycle”. The impact of recovering biodiversity, particularly animal species, plays a critical role in controlling carbon uptake and storage in ecosystems and can be considered the key to uniting the climate and extinction crisis and thereby vastly improve our chances to address these emergencies.

Assessing and Developing Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for Wilderness Rangers

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/Fmxo6v1qI1M
    • Description:
      Learn about core competencies, knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed for entry level wilderness ranger work, in order to develop a personal development and training plan, and then identify resources to develop those KSAs. This session will be shared in three modules:

      1. Review the Wilderness Technical Core Competencies for Wilderness Specialists,
      2. Assess your own wilderness KSAs,
      3. Learn about resources to further develop your KSAs.
    • Presenters:
      • Colter Pence, Wilderness, Wild & Scenic Rivers, and Trails Program Manager, Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger District, Flathead National Forest
      • Dan Abbe, Wilderness Specialist, Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center
    • Resources:



Track Description: This track assists agency personnel and partners learn more about the management of Wild & Scenic Rivers (WSRs). Sessions explore key topics related to the management of WSRs, including misconceptions of the WSR Act, river incident management, water quality monitoring, user capacity monitoring, and training resources.

Sessions:

Myth-busting the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/6w1bhj-4Byo
    • Description:
      Legislation is tough to read and hours of review are often needed to fully comprehend what exactly it does. As a result, many individuals often make their own interpretations. In this session, a panel of Wild and Scenic River experts will share some common misconceptions regarding the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, along with clarifying explanations that can be used to educate, inform and collaborate with constituency groups, partners, and river users.
    • Presenters:
      • Angie Fuhrmann, River Training Center Coordinator, River Management Society
      • Fred Akers, Administrator, Great Egg Harbor Wild & Scenic River
      • Jamie Fosburgh, Branch Chief, Partnership Wild & Scenic Rivers, National Park Service
      • Colter Pence, Wilderness, Wild & Scenic Rivers, and Trails Program Manager, Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger District, Flathead National Forest

Wild and Scenic Rivers Training On-Demand

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/fyDrsWigmOA
    • Description:
      In this session, participants will learn about the resources and training that can be accessed on-demand and for free through a tour of National Wilderness Skills Institute recordings, the Interagency Wild and Scenic River’s Coordinating Council crosswalk on training resources, and the River Management Society’s Video Channel.
    • Presenters:
      • Angie Fuhrmann, River Training Center Coordinator, River Management Society
      • Monica Zimmerman, Outdoor Recreation Planner, Bureau of Land Management
    • Resources:

River Incident Management

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/ozyGDnhtnOE
    • Description:
      Preventive actions, using home court advantage, do’s and don’ts and things to consider before, during and after a critical emergency unfolds in your river canyon. In this session, participants will gain a real-world perspective on approaching good problem-solving and go-nogo decision making while putting personal and team safety first.
    • Presenter:
      • Dave Cernicek, Wild & Scenic Rivers, Special Uses, Partnerships, & River Ranger, Bridger-Teton National Forest

Challenges & Successes: User Capacity Monitoring on Wild & Scenic Rivers

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/nL2ZaoCq4-0
    • Description:
      How long are the wait times at your boat ramp? How often are the campsites used along your river? In this session, participants will learn the theory behind user capacity monitoring, how to use the sliding scale, examples of user capacity monitoring strategies along different types of river corridors, and different types of systems used for gathering and storing data. There will be opportunities to share your ideas and successes!
    • Presenters:
      • Mary Ellen Emerick, Natural Resource Specialist, Enterprise Program, U.S. Forest Service
      • Sarah Lange, Acting Pacific Southwest Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers Program Assistant, U.S. Forest Service

Wild & Scenic River Monitoring: A Collaborative Citizen Science Approach

    • recording not available due to technical problems
    • Description:
      In this session, participants will learn about a partnership between Adventure Scientists and three WSR-administering agencies (USFS, BLM, NPS) to collect data on unassessed Wild and Scenic Rivers across the country and how the data will empower managers of these rivers to conserve water resources. Participants will also learn how to volunteer for this program and receive training on collecting data using field probes to measure water quality data such as pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and conductivity.
    • Presenters:
      • Lindsay Wancour, Project Creation Senior Manager, Adventure Scientists
      • Steve Chesterton, National Wild & Scenic Rivers Program Manager, U.S. Forest Service
      • Colter Pence, Wilderness, Wild & Scenic Rivers, and Trails Program Manager, Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger District, Flathead National Forest

All-Forward: Sexual Harassment in the Whitewater Rafting Industry

    • Recording: https://youtu.be/kkNV0NBIKEU
    • Description:
      The whitewater rafting industry offers many unique aspects in the job, including blurred lines between work and personal time, a hierarchy of seniority, the prevalence of alcohol, customer service orientation, isolated environments, and young workforces. The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission outlines that these traits can foster work environments where sexual harassment is prevalent. This session will outline a multi-year qualitative research project looking at the working environment in the whitewater rafting industry and how it might become more inclusive.
    • Presenter:
      • Dr. Maria Blevins, Associate Professor, Department of Communication, Utah Valley University