Ideas, Speakers & Lectures

Wilderness Workshop

Wilderness Workshop’s mission is to protect the wilderness, water, and wildlife of western Colorado’s public lands. The organization works across more than four million acres of public lands to ensure their ecological integrity. They have led efforts to designate more than half a million acres of Wilderness and hundreds of thousands of roadless areas in western Colorado. Their efforts focus on protecting public lands from threats such as industrial development, climate change, and short-term exploitation, but perhaps more important is what they protect public lands for – intact and thriving ecosystems, a livable planet for current and future generations, and the moment of awe that can only be experienced in a wild place. Learn more at wildernessworkshop.org.

Wilderness Workshop: A Wild Ride - Celebrating 60 Years of the Wilderness Act

Aspen Public Radio

Published October 30, 2024 at 6:51 PM MDT

Columbine bloom on the shoulder of Mt. Elbert looking south toward La Plata Peak.

This event was recorded on October 30, 2024, at TACAW, in partnership with Aspen Public Radio.

A celebration of the 60th anniversary of the passage of The Wilderness Act. Through the voices of our community, we hear different perspectives on and connections to wilderness. Speakers celebrate, reckon with, and reflect together on the past 60 years of the wilderness movement, while looking forward to the next 60. This event was produced in partnership with Alya Howe and Writ Large Live Storytelling Events.

Featuring the stories of:

NATALIE SPEARS

Natalie is a folk musician whose music is animated by the quiet awe of wild places, reflected in her recent album “The Hymn of Wild Things.” For Spears, the natural world offers a constant invitation to open the aperture of life to something wider, something wilder.

SLOAN SHOEMAKER

Sloan is a passionate local advocate for wilderness. He worked for Wilderness Workshop for 22 years, where he served as the Executive Director.

ZOË ROM

Zoë is a podcaster, journalist, trail runner, and comedian. She is the author of the book Becoming a Sustainable Runner and serves on the Board of Directors for Runners for Public Lands.

TRINA ORTEGA

Trina is the Coal Basin Ranch and Trails Manager for the Catena Foundation, where she is dedicated to restoration and land stewardship. For most of her career, she has been a writer and journalist, including serving as editor-in-chief of Mountain Flyer Magazine and as a founding editor for the Sopris Sun.

BILL KIGHT

Bill is the Executive Director of the Glenwood Springs Historical Society and Frontier Museum. He retired from the Forest Service in 2016 after 38 years of public service, but as a member of the storytelling group Writ Large, has not retired from storytelling.