Read Kayla’s Wild Thoughts

It’s hard to put into words the loss that the Adirondack community has been facing with the passing of Robbi Mecus.

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has long depended on — and partnered with — organizations to deploy stewards. From summits to trailheads to water access points, these stewards help educate the public on responsible recreation and enlist their help in protecting the Forest Preserve.

In this pandemic, I’m reminded how necessary large tracts of land are and how essential Wilderness and wild places are to our mental and physical health.

I did not understand the impact the Adirondacks had on me until 5 years ago, when I was sick of my job working at a 7-11 in Buffalo, I decided to move to the place that I remembered being the happiest in my life.