On Saturday, June 11, KTA Executive Director Joe Neville met with the Sierra Club’s executive committee and members at Little Pine State Park, Lycoming County. Here are his remarks:
“Keystone Trails Association and the Sierra Club share common goals. Our mission statements converge upon the footpaths of Pennsylvania. Look up from the trail, and our organizations protect the wildernesses that surround these paths. Inside the green tunnel and on top of the mountain, these places provide us with the experience of being both alone and connected to our planet.
“Those of us who spent time on the lake, breathing the humid air and swimming in the reeds, smelling the fish in our hands when we took it off the hook, or camping with our family in a little grove beside the forest, donning a pack filled with peanut butter and crackers before setting off to walk up a mountain, we look back on those memories with a special clarity: we understand that nature provides more than views. We know our hiking trip or our fishing trip built character and connected a sense of accomplishment with an admiration for the outdoors. If we were lucky enough to go back to a favorite spot time and time again, we may have seen deterioration by overuse or regrowth from underuse. Watching that transformation over time teaches us the value of preservation and of maintenance. By imparting that sense of stewardship, we have a better chance at communicating how connected we all are.
“Keystone Trails Association and the Sierra Club tread the line between promoting recreation and protecting wilderness from overuse and development. We must attract people to enjoy and appreciate natural spaces, while urging them to respect that our being there can become a problem.
“For the folks who think bears are out to get them and the dark is a frightful predicament, it is our job to reach out and educate them. We don’t often get to push for change and risk taking in the conservation field, so here is where we can have some fun. Keystone Trails Association planned a Beginner’s Backpack to encourage people to try something new. We were surprised when the event filled up, mostly with adults. Here was a group of people who voluntarily trudged along Choke Creek Trail carrying a pack heavier than they were accustomed, who slept in little lightweight tents in the rain, and were all smiles at the end. Partially because it was over, partially because they did it. And they didn’t leave a trace, save for footprints.
“This spring, KTA invited kids to become ambassadors of the trails to share stories of hikes and nature walks while teaching their friends about Leave No Trace. There aren’t a lot of adults who cheer when you tell them it’s best for the trail to walk through the mud. Kids get it. Muddy is fun. And these kids are taking on the responsibility of educating their peers about protecting the land we love to walk over, and gaze upon.
“Our jobs would be much easier if every postal customer, every visitor to our Web site, had gone on a scout trip as a kid and learned how spectacular, and fragile, our natural environment is. That experience plants the seed in our memory so that when we see a flyer about strip mining or hear the headline about the oil spill, we remember our old love of the outdoors and feel compelled to help out.
“As stewards of [the] earth at the top of the food chain, the land and water and flora and fauna are ours to destroy or conserve. We know we should preserve our green and blue spaces. Beyond the principle of being good inhabitants of [the] earth, there’s a selfish reason too: spend time using your muscles and relaxing your mind outdoors, and you’re bound for healthier living. Right now, the path to save our forests and our wilderness dovetails with the path to health and a robust human population.
“It’s an opportune moment to stand behind conservation and recreation. Spending time and energy outdoors—away from cities—is good for us. The conversation has changed from saving something that’s far away from your house and your concerns. The natural environment (although some parts really should only be seen from a distance and left alone) should be experienced as a place to feel awe and respect while taking advantage of opportunities for fitness and nurturing mental health. With that introduction, our members will want to protect the places that are precious to them. Then the clean water and air and resources we need will continue to sustain us. To preserve our happy, healthy lives, we must conserve our gorgeous, bustling ecosystems.”
After the remarks, Joe had an informal conversation and Q&A that included the following topics:
• KTA’s mission
• The power of our volunteers and members
• Some of Joe’s political experiences
• The Pennsylvania Game Commission
• Both KTA and the Sierra Club promoting outdoor recreation and protection
• Growing up with outdoor recreation and how that experience leads to stewardship
• How to get people outdoors, how getting people outdoors helps themission of groups like KTA and Sierra Club, and how getting outdoors is good for people and the planet
If you’d like Joe Neville to attend your club meeting or outing, please contact him at 717-238-7017 or jneville@kta-hike.org.