Gary Ananian is the founder of the Kern River Conservancy. He is a volunteer who pours his own time and money into protecting a river he loves. 

Vandalism and trash got so bad on the Kern River that Gary started camping elsewhere. The lure of the river brought him back, but he was again faced with trash and vandalism. When he discovered there was not a single conservation group dedicated to protecting the Kern River, he founded a group to begin to clean up the river. 

The Kern River was designated as a Leave No Trace Hot Spot and Gary worked with Sam Ovett and Jenna Hanger. Together, they helped transform the Kern River and work with the public and land management agencies to give the river a promising future. 

Gary explains how volunteers can work with and educate the public in a way uniformed staff can not. 

Through his work on the Kern River, Gary has shown one person can have an impact. 

After a backpacking trip to Glacier National Park, I passed through the Yaak Valley. I was intrigued by the beauty of the valley. It just felt different than most other places I had visited. 

Shortly after my short visit to the Yaak Valley, I discovered a book called The Book of Yaak by Rick Bass. I began devouring Rick Bass' books, and I returned to the Yaak. 

Over the years, I hiked many miles and spent many nights in the Yaak Valley. And read many Rick Bass books. Rick used his words to bring awareness to the Yaak Valley and the issues this unique place in Montana faced. 

In this episode of The Park Leaders Show, Rick Bass talks about the Yaak Valley, the importance of parks, and the biggest issues facing parks today. 

Here are some of Rick Bass' books you will enjoy;

The Lost Grizzlies

The Ninemile Wolves

The Wild Marsh

Rick Bass recommends The Grizzly Years by Doug Peacock. Rick Bass gave us a list of suggested books people in parks should read. Check out the Suggested Reading List from Rick Bass. 

Even in an urban setting, there is wilderness all around. Birds, bugs, plants are not just getting by, but thriving living in a city. 

Most people never notice. Most people quickly move from one place to another without looking up or down to see the life around them. Or, wildlife is so common it goes unnoticed. When was the last time you thought about a pigeon? Or a snail? So much life in a city goes unseen. 

Nathanael Johnson not only noticed the urban wilderness around him, he wrote a book about it. Unseen City takes a look at the majesty of pigeons, the discreet charm of snails and other wonders of the urban wilderness. 

Unseen City combines great writing, deep research with the curiosity of Johnson's young daughter, Josephine. The curiosity of Josephine helps us all learn more about the wildlife around us but usually goes unseen. 

This is a book is a must for any park bookstore in an urban area. 

Armando Quintero spent 22 years with the National Park Service. Now, Armando is the Executive Director of the Sierra Nevada Research Institute at The University of California, Merced. 

When Armando left his career as parks, he knew his background would allow him to be an advocate for parks from the outside. 

Experience from the inside and the outside of parks has given Armando a unique perspective of our parks and their place in our society. Armando discusses the importance of adaptive leadership in parks. 

Armando recommends The Forest Ranger by Herbert Kaufman.