Michael C. Sanchez
Wilderness Ranger Fellow
July 4-13 | Payette National Forest
Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness
Editor’s Note: Michael was immersed in the Frank Church-RONR Wilderness this summer. He mailed his handwritten blog post to our offices in Boise!
From the city of Phoenix, being almost 2 million people, to the city of Missoula, Montana, where the population is less than 100,000. To the city of McCall, Idaho where the population might be less than 4,000. This journey has really placed a perspective on the world around me.
Now being flown out into the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness in a Twin Otter plane, from a small airport, owned by the United States Forest Service, where planes are mainly used for fighting forest fires. I land and live in Wilderness.
The population here is now a crew of 6, whom I will work alongside, clearing never-ending trails that serve as habitat for a larger population I could not even fathom. From the singing birds to the leaping White Tails and Mule Deer; to the chirping crickets and the buzzing mosquitoes.
I am immersed in Wilderness. The work here brings a number of challenges and summons perseverance, while also giving accomplishment and self-growth.
The land gives you its history just by walking through it, but also gives you its future by moving through it. The landscapes are ever-changing yet everlasting.
The land is owed many thanks for what it provides: life in abundance. The mountains and trees are owed many thanks for what they provide: beauty and grace. I hope those who find this path for themselves may also give thanks for being on a land so wild and famed. That we may grow like the land does after being pure and untamed.
MICHAEL SANCHEZ
Payette National Forest | Frank Church-RONR Wilderness
Arizona State University
Major: Conservation Biology
Michael was raised in Arizona, where he became very fond of the landscapes provided in such a dry state. However, when traveling and living in Calgary, Alberta, he found a love for pine, creeks, and moss that grows on north facing rocks. He's also found a love and importance in conservation of all species through hiking, backpacking, and spending plenty of time around animals. His coursework for a bachelors degree in Conservation Biology has allowed him to piece various experiences together and to give him a deeper perspective on why we must protect our environment. Exploring his roots as an indigenous person has guided him the embodiment and the appreciation for the land and what it provides to us as a species.