Sometimes inspiring others to conservation starts with the simple act of giving them a place to walk. That's one of the driving forces which compelled Matthew Christiansen to spend this past summer digging trenches, cutting overgrowth, and maintaining the vast network of trails in the Monongahela National Forest located in West Virginia. In partnership with the Student Conservation Association and the U.S. Forest Service, Matthew set out to make his mark on the very lands which helped inspire his path to the study of environmental science. But as it goes with the outdoors, Matthew soon discovered the deeper truths of how a simple shovel and a pickaxe can move others to action.
By Luke Adams
Sony A7s
KD TrX 400