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rscottjones

Love #publiclands, travel quests, roadtrips, and #optoutside • Cofounder of @QuestingApp • Phoenix Scout for @BackpackerMag • Visited 407/419 #nationalparks

Pearl Jam – Live in Concert

It had been 4,777 days since I had seen Pearl Jam in concert. The only time I had seen them live was October 21, 2000—one day shy of the ten year anniversary of the band’s first performance. I’m not a big concert guy—I’ve only been to a couple of PJ concerts and two other Flogging … Read more

words of wilderness

Words of Wilderness

The Wilderness Act turns 50 this year and this short video is a visually stunning way to celebrate some of our most treasured landscapes. We’re truly indebted to John Muir, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, Also Leopold, and the countless other unsung advocates who fought tirelessly to preserve Wilderness for us all. What an amazing legacy to leave.

…on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam—our pale blue dot.

It’s hard to find a more eloquent, humbling, and ultimately empowering statement than the inspired words of Carl Sagan. If you’ve had a bad day recently or need some perspective on your life, here it is. Watch. Listen. In the vastness of space and the immensity of time, revel in the joy of sharing a … Read more

Leaving the Conservation Lands Foundation

Yesterday was my last day at the Conservation Lands Foundation. In my nearly six years on staff, we quickly built an effective national organization, developed and supported a vibrant network of grassroots advocates across the West, helped set a strong policy vision for system, and elevated the profile of the National Conservation Lands, among many … Read more

I am going to die on December 27, 2060

It’s going to be a Monday, about six weeks after I celebrate my 82nd birthday. And it’s the day I’m planning to die on. Why did I choose that date? Well, not for any big, significant reason, really. Basic life expectancy calculations place my death somewhere between ages 84 and 87. So I figured that, since … Read more

Happy birthday to the Antiquities Act!

Today is the anniversary of Antiquities Act of 1906. Not many people know much about this law, even though it probably ranks as the most important conservation tool in our nation’s history. Not only did it, for the first time, protect historical and prehistoric structures and artifacts, but it gave the President the authority to … Read more

My #BattlefieldsandBeginnings road trip

15 days. 2,486 miles. 31 new national parks. In March 2013, I had one of my most productive national park road trips. I called it my #BattlefieldsandBeginnings trip, and it primarily focused on as-yet-unvisited national parks in Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland. I also snuck in a quick jaunt over the Pennsylvania border to hit Gettysburg and … Read more

Following the life of Abraham Lincoln

In August 2013, I made it to the last two major national park sites dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln. After watching the movie Lincoln in 2013, I thought back on all of the Lincoln-related historical sites I’ve visited. I think it’s a rather comprehensive list, especially as he’s been enshrined in the National Parks. Abraham Lincoln Birthplace … Read more

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