Wild Thoughts

AWA founding members Pete Nelson, Bill Ingersoll, Kayla White, and Craig McGowan discuss one of the most important attributes of wilderness: Remoteness… that sometimes elusive element that hikers and paddlers often crave but which seems constantly imperiled by the creeping sprawl of modern civilization. Does remoteness still exist? Can it be saved? And just as importantly: can we measure it!

Join AWA Treasurer Craig McGowan and Board Chair Pete Nelson as they talk with Lake George Land Conservancy Executive Director Michael Horn about the work of the LGLC. Land trusts play a vital role in protecting land and helping to integrate the tapestry of Adirondack wild lands. But they also play a vital role in protecting Adirondack waters. In this wide-ranging discussion, Mike talks about the specific ways in which the LGLC protects Lake George’s precious watershed by preserving and stewarding the lands that surround it.

Join AWA Board members Bill Ingersoll and Pete Nelson as they discuss the meaning and value of wilderness with eminent Adirondack historian Philip Terrie. Phil is professor emeritus of American culture studies, English and environmental studies at Bowling Green State University and is the author of five books on Adirondack history, including the widely-read Contested Terrain. He is working on a new book in which he explores the meaning and import of Article XIV of New York State’s Constitution, the famous “Forever Wild” amendment, and simultaneously reevaluates his own six-decade relationship with wilderness. Enjoy a lively and insightful conversation about reality, imagination and aspiration among three ardent lovers of wild places, as they discuss the Adirondacks’ most precious asset: wilderness.

In this installation of AWA's Wild Thoughts Video, Pete Nelson and Kayla White discuss current efforts in Adirondack land conservation with Connie Prickett and Chris Jage of the Adirondack Land Trust. What does the trust do, how do they preserve ecological integrity, and are conservation easements less ironclad than “Forever Wild”? Learn about the trust’s past and recent achievements, including the purchase of a 187-acre preserve at the junction of NY 73 and Adirondak Loj Road, in this 45-minute conversation.

In this installation of AWA's "Wild Thoughts Podcast," Bill Ingersoll, Kayla White, and Pete Nelson discuss "Strange Natures: Conservation in the Era of Synthetic Biology" written by Kent H Redford & William M Adams. This book was published in 2021 by Yale University Press - https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300230970/strange-natures/. As we draw towards the end of 2023, we are wrapping up our first year as podcasters! The "Wild Thoughts" series is a new undertaking for AWA, and with your support we hope to grow it into an entertaining and informative resource for all things Adirondack wilderness. Please share your thoughts and feedback, and remember that we are a small grassroots organization with a small budget and big ambitions. If you liked what you've seen, please visit us at AdirondackWilderness.org.

In this episode we talk with author and board member Bill Ingersoll and AWA Chair Pete Nelson about why advocacy is important to keeping the Adirondacks Wild.

In August, the owner of the popular rental facility, the Cabins at Chimney Mountain, announced the closure of public access to hiking trails in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness that begin on private property. In this episode of AWA's Wild Thoughts Podcast, Craig McGowan and Bill Ingersoll discuss the implications of this development and its impacts on public access to the backcountry.

In August, the owner of the popular rental facility, the Cabins at Chimney Mountain, announced the closure of public access to hiking trails in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness that begin on private property. In this episode of AWA's Wild Thoughts Podcast, Craig McGowan and Bill Ingersoll discuss the implications of this development and its impacts on public access to the backcountry.

In this edition, we will be discussing the thorny issue of roads in the Adirondack Forest Preserve. This month the Adirondack Park Agency is accepting public comments on the topic of No Material Increase and CP-3 access roads, terms that I'm sure are on the tip of everyone's tongues. For the next 30 minutes or so we will have a discussion on what the APA is asking, what these terms mean, and what's at stake for wilderness in the Adirondacks.

AWA founding members Pete Nelson, Bill Ingersoll, Kayla White, and Craig McGowan discuss one of the most important attributes of wilderness: Remoteness… that sometimes elusive element that hikers and paddlers often crave but which seems constantly imperiled by the creeping sprawl of modern civilization. Does remoteness still exist? Can it be saved? And just as importantly: can we measure it! We discuss our experiences in some of our favorite places, including a recent visit to the Siamese Ponds Wilderness and touching on such topics as snowmobiling and Boreas Ponds. Our 2016 "Remote Areas Map" is also mentioned once or twice! This video podcast is a new undertaking for us, and with your support we hope to grow our Wild Thoughts series into an entertaining and informative resource for all things Adirondack wilderness. Please share your thoughts and feedback, and remember that we are a small grassroots organization with a small budget and big ambitions. If you like what you've seen, please consider making a financial contribution using our Donate button. Every bit helps us advance our mission!
You can also use this space to promote other videos or service offerings. If nothing else, recommend what video your viewers should check out next.

Kayla White, the Adirondack Mountain Club's Chief Steward, discusses the wide range of activities professional and volunteers stewards do to protect the wilderness, especially the fragile plants that exist on the highest summits.

Visitor Use Management (VUM) is getting a lot of attention in discussions about how best to manage and protect the Forest Preserve. But what is it and how can it benefit the Adirondack Park? How does it relate to the recently-released advisory reports for managing the High Peaks Wilderness? Join wilderness management expert Chad Dawson for an in-depth webinar on this timely topic. Dawson, a Professor Emeritus at SUNY ESF as well as a former APA Board Member, joined Adirondack Wilderness Advocates as a technical advisor in 2021. The event will be free and open to the public. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is required to produce unit management plans (UMPs) for each tract of public land it oversees, and VUM will likely become a key part of how many actions are conceived, implemented, and monitored over time. How is this process different from what DEC has been doing for years? What are the advantages and benefits? “The concept of Visitor Use Management is nothing new, startling, or controversial, and it is widely accepted in resource and recreation management across the United States,” says Dawson. It is, however, a new topic when it comes to how the Adirondacks will be managed. “The recently released High Peaks Advisory Group (HPAG) report recommends the VUM framework, and the Wildlands Monitoring Guidance of Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) added VUM into its title and narrative.” The Wildlands Monitoring Guidance was designed by Adirondack Park Agency and DEC field staff to address localized and specific management issues (such as visitor trail impacts) and the VUM framework was designed for a range of resource and visitor use issues over large and small geographic areas. If VUM sounds like a radical change to the way things have always been done, Dawson suggests that this is only because the process has been misunderstood. “DEC administrators are daunted by the additional transparency and accountability that are integral to a VUM process,” he says, “even though the HPAG report strongly encourages them to engage VUM and adaptive management.”