Conservation

Conservation is the management of natural resources.  This is not a new idea.  Native Americans and Indigenous Tribes practiced conservation because their societies lived closely with the land and the cycle of the seasons.  They understood that resources were finite.

The Europeans arrived to colonize the New World and saw what appeared to be unlimited resources and land.  By the mid-nineteenth century, people began to examine their relationship with and appreciation of nature.  Henry David Thoreau wrote the book Walden, in 1854, which tells about going back to the simple life.  The Hudson River School artists, such as Albert Bierstadt and Frederick Edwin Church, received enthusiastic public response to their canvasses.  George Perkins Marsh published his book, Man and Nature, in 1864, which makes it clear that natural resources are finite.  In 1872, Yellowstone National Park was created as the first national park in the world.  Organizations such as the Appalachian Mountain Club and the American Forestry Association, both founded in 1875, began to show concern for the way forest land was managed.  Our very own Walton Pond is believed to be named for Izaak Walton, a 17th century author who wrote The Complete Angler. The Izaak Walton League of America was formed in 1922, and was one of the earliest conservation groups in the country.

As our mission states, Winding Trails is dedicated to the preservation and stewardship of the natural woodlands and waterways that allow outdoor programming, character development, and play activities that strengthen the lives of those we serve. Most organizations measure their assets in terms of buildings and equipment. Winding Trails believes that its natural resources are its greatest gift and therefore worthy of investing time and money to preserve it. We all have an obligation to respect the environment and preserve open space. It was Audubon who said, “A true conservationist is a person who knows that the world is not given by their fathers, but borrowed from their children.”