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
Parkwire, GWS’s daily global digest
of park news • Follow on FB
Latest top headlines • 2 May 2026
A review of Trump's censorship campaign reveals a picture of centralized DOI control over NPS websites and various levels of intervention from the administration. https://buff.ly/imHA15C
Two House Democrats are weighing in to support a lawsuit seeking to reverse Trump's decision to put his likeness on NP passes. https://buff.ly/Q80TPLP
Even with hefty surcharges, revenue from sales of NP passes to international visitors went up during the first quarter of 2026. But tourism industry experts have some worries. https://buff.ly/AllZ5oF
Construction on Trump's border wall damaged a large Indigenous ground etching resembling a fish that is thought to be at least 1,000 years old. https://buff.ly/lQ97KVv
The NY Times has a story out on Trump's plans to eliminate US Forest Service scientists and their research. https://buff.ly/H06DpUx
The White House has withdrawn, without explanation, its nomination of a concessionaire executive, Scott Socha, to lead USNPS. https://buff.ly/utPaQBt (edit: In a statement to E&E News, Socha said he withdrew his candidacy weeks ago, in March, for "personal reasons.")
Trump used an "urgency" clause to steer money through USNPS toward a favored contractor in some of his favored projects in DC. https://buff.ly/qJl0e8v
The latest readout on Isle Royale NP's moose and wolves shows that wolves are surging and moose are plummeting. https://www.bostonherald.com/2026/04/27/isle-royale-wolves/
Authorities in Nigeria have arrested the leader of an international trafficking ring that deals in pangolins — the world's most-smuggled animal. https://buff.ly/H5h3Fe7
USNPS staffers in parks across the country expect big crowds this summer — but with fewer colleagues to help, they are worried. https://buff.ly/Ccdy5iF
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!
GWS LGBTQIA2S+ AFFINITY GROUP
