Sami | Bend, OR

Sami is a community organizer and wilderness advocate based in Bend, OR.

Why does wilderness matter to you?

Wilderness has always felt a bit like a playground to me; places to explore and connect with nature through movement, adventure, and joy. They are places that inspire awe; places with names like the Three Sisters, Mount Jefferson, Eagle Cap.

But in recent years, I've come to appreciate wilderness for so much more. These are places I physically depend on for clean water and clean air. And they are places I depend on for connection to friends and family, community, my favorite memories, and to a much bigger, wilder world.