The George Wright Society champions stewardship of parks, protected & conserved areas, cultural sites, and other kinds of place-based conservation by connecting people, places, knowledge, and ideas. By uniting people from many different backgrounds around a common passion for protecting Earth’s natural and cultural heritage, we create the collaboration needed to meet today’s greatest conservation challenges.
INNOVATING ACROSS BOUNDARIES FOR
Parks • Cultural Sites
Protected / Conserved Areas
Safeguarding Essential Information
Honoring & Supporting Public Service
Call for Proposals coming January 2026
University of Montana, Missoula
October 20–23, 2025
Explore the Virtual Workshop Library
with 50+ presentations
Parkwire, GWS’s daily global digest
of park news • Follow on FB
Latest top headlines • 16 December 2025
A new NOAA report finds that climate change is causing naturally occurring toxic minerals to leaching into rivers in the Alaska Arctic, including in Kobuk Valley NP, with pernicious effects. https://buff.ly/ANOFlr9
The website Politico has a long feature story on conservative Republicans in Montana who are upset about Trump's policies on public lands. https://buff.ly/fGC69OY
New rules that force USNPS supervisors to cap the number of employees who get high performance ratings will lead to further erosion of employee morale, critic say. https://buff.ly/NlUauT9 DOI officials are denying that such caps are in place. https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2025/12/update-national-park-superintendents-ordered-cap-employee-evaluations
The National Trust for Historic preservation is suing to stop Trump from building a ballroom where the East Wing of the White House stood before he demolished it without warning. https://buff.ly/qgqTNnr
A conservation group is suing over the decision to place Trump's image on the US federal recreation area pass. https://buff.ly/UIu8Vur
A day after religious leaders issued a call to Congress to support the ESA, over 600 scientists urged the same thing in a sign-on letter. https://buff.ly/ZslYNS1
Trump officials helped squelch language in a new UN global environment report that called for action on climate change, biodiversity loss, and more. https://buff.ly/aSkFF5N
NPCA is sharply criticizing Trump's order to USNPS to review materials in NP gift shops (including books) that don't align with his politics. https://buff.ly/ig0cxKK
INSPIRED BY GEORGE MELÉNDEZ WRIGHT
The first-ever biography of our namesake — the visionary who revolutionized management of America‘s national parks
“Emory’s enumeration of Wright’s accomplishments—including a survey of wildlife in Western parks, the first of its kind—is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Highly recommended for nature lovers and park enthusiasts.” LIBRARY JOURNAL
