Youth conservationists meet Interior Secretary

“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.”

– Aristotle

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell met with five young outdoor enthusiasts last week to discuss America’s public lands and outdoor heritage.

The five were selected from across the nation as winners of the Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development’s essay contest on “The Importance of Public Lands to Me”. The winners were Jarred Kay, 17, Flagstaff, Ariz.; Haley Powell, 17, Rock Springs, Wyo.; Matthew Reilly, 18, Palmyra, Va.; Rebecca Brown, 17, Conrad, Mont.; and Noah Davis, 18, Greensburg, Pa.

Haley, the winner from Wyoming, opened her essay “Public Lands and Me” with the above Aristotle quote. She is the youth membership chairwoman for Trout Unlimited in Wyoming and says people care about our nation’s lands, but don’t know how to help.

“Everyone sees the video of the old guy who talks about what it used to be like and how good it used to be and people care for a minute and then forget,” Haley told the Casper Star-Tribune. “The younger generation cares. We are inspired, and we need to be inspired. Your generation is leaving the environment in our hands, and we have to take care of it.”

Photo credit: Christen Duxbury, TRCP

Christen Duxbury with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership attended the Jewell meeting.

“As the conversation unfolded between Jewell and Matt, Haley, Jarred and Rebecca, the contest winners, it was clear that the secretary was enthralled by what these young people had to say. They talked about what strategies should be employed to get more young people – and more people of color – outdoors. They discussed how time spent outdoors better prepares people for life. They told Jewell what they might prioritize if they were in her position. They talked about the importance of public service, our conservation heritage and more. Not one person left Secretary Jewell’s office unchanged. Young people bring the unbridled depth and bright ideas that are crucial to the future of conservation,” she said in a blog post.

Learn more about the winners and read their essays.