I grew up learning about nature from Boy Scouts and going camping with my dad. I don't remember most of what I learned about identifying trees on my way to becoming and Eagle Scout but there are things that had an impact on me like the merit badge that required me to sit quietly in the woods for an hour. It was the first time I realized how different the forest is when you're still enough to not disturb what's around you.
The turning point for me was going to work for the National Parks Conservation Association in Knoxville Tennessee. When I started the job I had more enthusiasm for historic sites in the National Park system than the natural parks. Being close enough to hike in the Great Smoky Mountains every weekend changed my perspective. The beauty of the mountains must be why there's so much support for environmental issues in East Tennessee compared to central Illinois.
On my first hike in the Smokies I went up Mt. Cammerer.
This picture is of me next to the fire tower at the top. It was restored by the Friends of the Smokies.
I didn't visit the Smokies very often at first. I had a friend who came to visit that said, "If I lived this close to the Smokies I would go there every weekend." That made a florescent light bulb go off in my head so I started hiking several times each month.
Here's a picture of Cades Cove, which is the most popular destination in the park. You can click on this and some of the others to enlarge.
Unfortunately, the traffic congestion through Cades Cove in the tourist season is a real problem. Someday they need to create a transit system and take people through on some kind of tram or bus.
I took this one in late spring on Brushy Mountain trail.
Here's one of my favorites of Laurel Falls.
Another one of Mt. Cammerer showing the fall colors.
The Smoky Mountains website has a page on air quality that describes the effects of air pollution on the park including reduced visibility, health risks to hikers, and damage to plant life.
There's some discussion within the environmental movement over whether too much emphasis is being put on energy issues in comparison to traditional land conservation efforts. Reading about the effect ozone pollution from cars and coal power plants has on the smokies makes it impossible for me to believe there's any divide between land conservation and energy issues. Both are essential if we're going to protect America's few remaining natural areas.
Ok, one more picture just for fun of one of my other favorite places, Zion National Park.
If I look a little haggard its because I had just been driven like a mule on a 14 mile day hike through the high desert canyons by a back country park ranger who had been on the trails all summer. Since I had been doing campaign work in the city for several months instead of hiking, we had different ideas about what pace was acceptable.
Another ranger was surprised when my friend said how quickly we made the hike so I felt a little vindicated. I thought I was going to die and she didn't seem phased by it at all. I had a great time.