George Wright Society :: Parks, Protected Areas Cultural Sites

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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

University of Montana, Missoula • October 20–23, 2025

Plan to join us as we launch a new series of annual workshops exploring the latest in place-based conservation!

Registration now open — register early and save!

Program ready to view — still accepting proposals for Posters

GWS ParkForum 2025 1-min Intro

GWS ParkForum 2025 1-min Intro

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Check out the latest issue of our open-access journal, Parks Stewardship Forum

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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

Watch our virtual chat
with author Jerry Emory!

Parkwire, GWS’s daily global digest

of park news • Follow on FB

Latest top headlines • 23 May 2025

Burgum ordered national parks, BLM sites, national wildlife refuges, and other public lands to post signs encouraging visitors to report any interpretive materials that portray the United States critically. https://buff.ly/6mKtYM8

Several groups are suing to block Trump's order opening Pacific Islands Heritage Marine NMon to commercial fishing. https://buff.ly/8BKC4EU

A judge extended her ruling blocking Trump from laying off tens of thousands of federal workers while a lawsuit challenging the move proceeds in court. https://buff.ly/QGm80Gf

A measure that would have allowed the sale of 500,000 acres of public land in Utah and Nevada was pulled from a House budget bill thanks to the opposition of Ryan Zinke, who served as secretary of the interior in Trump's first term. https://buff.ly/nrUsGzg

Wildfires — ramped up by climate change — reached record levels globally last year, destroying an area the size of Italy. https://buff.ly/UCTC0Ov

Native turtles have started to repopulate in Yosemite NP after invasive bullfrogs were removed. https://buff.ly/7neYJoE

An analysis by NPCA finds that a third of the USNPS staff in the Alaska Regional Office have been ousted by Trump's actions. https://buff.ly/2t83Zin

AI is beginning to significantly change how conservation biology is being done. https://buff.ly/hmrqcVr

A new study finds that some 3,500 animal species could go extinct because of climate change. https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5309262-biodiversity-loss-jumps-due-climate/

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