Author Archives: llowe@atomicdust.com

Two years before he authored the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson set out on the lifelong project of conserving Virginia’s Natural Bridge. Michaelle Browers has described the effort as “perhaps the first major act of nature preservation in the new republic.” The man who would be Governor of Virginia and President of the United StatesContinue reading “Thomas Jefferson: The Lost Founding Father of American Conservation”

As we celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, it is heartening that America’s national symbol, the bald eagle, is no longer imperiled. Although once at risk of extinction throughout much of its historical range, this majestic species rebounded in the late 20th century, and populations are now in good health. At the time of the nation’sContinue reading “How the Eagle Came Back”

From railroad barons to bison ranchers, private capital and entrepreneurial vision have been conservation’s quiet but indispensable partner throughout American history

On May 9, 2016, the United States adopted the bison as the national mammal. Elevating the animal to such a position of esteem was a far cry from the late 19th century, when the skulls of millions of slaughtered buffalo were piled into mounds and their carcasses left to rot on the plains. Legislators couldContinue reading “What the Bison Carries”

How property rights, incentives, and the rule of law rescued our wildlife, cleaned our rivers, and cleared our skies

The King’s Game From the Early Medieval Era through the 1700s, England enacted and enforced laws to reserve the privilege of property and access to fish and game for the ruling classes. “Royal” species like deer, falcons, salmon, and others deemed to have commercial and sport value, were reserved for the exclusive use of royaltyContinue reading “From the King’s Deer to the People’s Wildlife”

At its best, the American conservation tradition has aligned the interests of private landowners, ranchers, hunters, and locals with the lands, waters, and wildlife they depend on

Examples from around the world of creative conservation in action

How America’s wild places shaped our national character—and why conserving them still matters