“I have had many special experiences in wilderness such as sharing a research excursion with one of my sons in the Weminuche Wilderness in Colorado and experiencing his excitement and development.”

“Wilderness was the only source of safety I felt as a child. I still feel safest in wild places.”

“Wilderness is important. It can demonstrate its beauty, inspire us with its significance, and help us have better lives, but it cannot speak for itself. It is up to us to speak for it.”

“But what matters most to me about the wilderness experience are the people. Humans are a social species.… Every fireside chat, dry stacked stonewall built, and the conversations and laughter that did the heavy lifting – this is the specialness of wilderness.”

“Archeological materials like scarlet macaw feathers and bones, copper bells, and ceremonial cacao have been found in wild and historic places across the Colorado Plateau. Wilderness reminds: Latinos have always belonged here and we always will.”

“Walking away from comforts of home and out into a wild place has completely shaped who I am. The sound of the wind through crags and rustling through aspens, the vast views from a lone peak, and the rush of water melting down from a season of snowpack accent my life.”