Dani Purvis | Atlanta, GA

Dani Purvis is a community organizer and recreationalist based in Atlanta, GA.

Why does wilderness matter to you?

Wilderness is a place where I can tap into both fortitude and softness. The remote and rugged wildernesses I've explored have called me to be strong, steady, and brave in the face of real, life-affirming challenges. While rising to these challenges, my wild environment slowly opens up to me and shows me a world of wonder and awe beyond my comprehension that I am, somehow, magnificently part of. Each wilderness journey that starts with a personal trials and triumphs evolves into a devotion to something bigger than me but also a part of me. There are few places as humbling and elevating as wilderness.

Why does wilderness matter to your community?

Wilderness holds a lot of tangible value for my local and global community, like supporting more resilient ecosystems, protecting watersheds, providing sustainable economic and recreational opportunities, and supplying essential materials. But I believe the intangible substances of wilderness—the spiritual and cultural connections to our lands, our window into a world of the past, a guidestone for our future—matter just as much to my community.