Celebrating the Year of Muir
Saturday, August 6, 2016
A glimpse of Ennis Lake in John Muir Park.
Hiking. I don’t like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains…these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not ‘hike’ through them.
John Muir
Purpose of Event
In 2016, nationwide, the National Park Service and partners will be celebrating its 100th anniversary, by reflecting on our accomplishments and looking forward to the next century of conservation stewardship and public engagement. In preparation for this future, A Call To Action was developed to create a second century vision for the National Park Service by identifying goals that will provide for today and tomorrow’s large, urban, and diverse population.
To celebrate the National Park Service Centennial and our A Call To Action accomplishments, the Ice Age National Scenic Trail staff, partners and friends will be holding an event on August 6, 2016, at John Muir County Park in Marquette County, Wisconsin. Approximately 300 people are expected to attend. Registration is required.
Event Overview
The Ice Age National Scenic Trail (Trail) has the good fortune of being located in Wisconsin, John Muir’s boyhood home, where the Trail meanders around Ennis Lake (Fountain Lake), site of Muir’s first homestead in Wisconsin. It is not a coincidence that this Centennial celebration is being held at this location. John Muir played a key role in the creation of the National Park system, and the Trail and Muir share many common themes including the love of nature, hiking and glaciers.
This event will recognize and capture the themes of John Muir’s youth and life —adventurer, artist, writer/poet, spiritual environmentalist, naturalist, geologist, advocate—and show how they are alive today and reflected in the Ice Age Trail, individual citizens, and national and local environmental organizations.
Highlights of the program will include: an original poem by 2011-2012 Wisconsin State Poet Laureate, Bruce Dethlefsen for the NPS Centennial; author presentations; an open air art exhibit by children from the Ice Age Trail Alliance’s Saunters programs who will have hiked the Ice Age Trail while immersed in the philosophy of John Muir; new digital exhibits on John Muir in Wisconsin, and a phone app of a tour of John Muir’s Marquette County.
After lunch, there will be hikes and workshops led by local and national experts.
To close the celebration, we will have a discussion on the roots of Wisconsin’s environmental tradition (Muir and others) and the importance of civic participation and building non-partisan support for the environment and future generations.
Madison area travel: Bus transportation from Dick’s Sporting Goods at Madison’s East Towne Mall is available on Saturday at 8am. The bus will head back at 4:30pm. Select this option on the registration page.
Workshop Summaries [PDF]
Full Schedule [PDF]
Register Here