After Charlie’s fellowship in 2011, Charlie wrapped up school at U of M’s College of Forestry and Conservation, and rejoined the SBFC as a Crew Leader out of Powell Ranger Station. A full six months of backcountry work, mentoring a new crop of fellows, and learning more about wilderness, trail work, and outdoor leadership helped Charlie in his transition from college into the next phase of his life.

On the recommendation of SBFC colleagues, in 2013 Charlie left Montana to spend a season with Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards, a boots-on-the-ground effort in the same spirit as SBFC. There, he experienced a new landscape, culture, and found that the community of people with passion for wild places was alive and well in the southeast. As a crew leader, wilderness ranger, and eventually field supervisor, Charlie’s time with SAWS brought further clarity and opportunity for growth. The path of professional wilderness stewardship that began as a SBFC fellow continued to lead to more opportunities to help people connect and protect wild places.

After three years exploring Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina, Charlie was blessed to have an opportunity to return to his hometown, Billings, to become the Eastern Montana Field Director for the Montana Wilderness Association. While he doesn’t spend as many days on trails as he once did, he does get to work with bright, committed people every day to advocate for and protect the Prairie Wildlands that first drew his eyes to the horizon. To learn more about the places Charlie’s working to protect with MWA, visit wildmontana.org, or feel free to reach out to him directly at csmillie@wildmontana.org.