Collection Five: Fall 2023
Conservation & Belonging in the Outdoors
Our fifth curated collection focuses on two expressions of the outdoors that we understand as co-constitutive: Conservation and Belonging. The outdoors is for everybody and we all have a stake in the ecological integrity of the natural world. We’re going to need each other in the work that lies ahead. The works assembled here articulate different relationships between us and what we think of when we think of the outdoors. Together, this collection represents the committed, contemplative, and joyful space in which we are engaged in the outdoors, somewhere between being and becoming.
This collection wouldn’t be possible without the wonderful work of our editor for the semester, Hailey Pike.
“Renaming Landscapes as Intentional Re-Vision“
Kyle Boggs
These kinds of revisions are not as simple as using a delete key. The past can never be erased, the scars of colonialism and racism leave marks, like tarnish that won’t rub off.
Lori Gray
When we are burdened with stress, worried about our children, concerned by the aging of his parents, we return to the mountains.
Charlee Andree
It’s so easy to grieve the state of our environment so I challenged myself to emphasize joy and gratitude within a call for justice.
“Embracing Cultural Identity is the Secret to Saving Birds“
Abigail Jenkins
We cannot protect birds of prey from extinction without appreciating the many varied identities of our neighbors, who offer unique insights and creative solutions to maintaining a bird-filled sky.
“Hotspring Head”
Charlee Andree
Hurrying to a frozen embrace,
Stopping the steam, soothing the scald.
Veronica Yellowhair
Looking back is the past, learn and keep moving forward. “The wind is our holy people speaking,” my Shima’yazhi (aunt) Delores said once.
McCale Ashenbrener
Tendrils of color and feeling wept into each other to make something new. I was no longer so acutely aware of where I ended and you began, and the question itself felt silly.
“Reflections in Nature”
Olivia Brandon
I let my fingers trail the grass as I run by the lake.
Rachel Jacobson
It will affect my thinking. I will feel like an intruder in outdoor spaces, even those labeled public. I have been conditioned to split myself into parts yet constantly seek fullness.
Commentary by Idaho Sierra Club staff, and forthcoming mini-documentary
We belong everywhere
“Silence to Solace Through Nature’s Embrace“
Kate Noden
You find solace through an escape, for me, finding embrace within the great outdoors.
“Beyond the Lens: Local Park Conservation“
Brooklyn Arnold
One might expect to see local birds, flowers, rabbits, and even the occasional deer. Frequent attendees will also note a significant sighting of another species too: photographers.