Name: Zach Moss | 2018 Wilderness Ranger Fellow

Education: B.A. in Environmental Science with a Biology minor from Central College in Pella, IA; Master of Natural Resources degree from University of Idaho (McCall Outdoor Science School, aka M.O.S.S.)

Why did you want to join SBFC as a Wilderness Ranger Fellow?

I was seeking a deeper immersion in a huge wild place. In Iowa, 99.9% of our original tallgrass prairies have been destroyed, 15 out of 2,617 waterbody segments meet all their designated uses, we rank 48th out of 50 states for public land, and we have zero federally-designated Wilderness Areas. I wanted to develop my sense of place in my Geography of Hope, so I could return back to Iowa and have the strength to fight the good fight of natural resource conservation and education in my home state.

I was also excited to return to my roots in conservation, give back to this place and the SBFC organization, and grow in my Wilderness skills and knowledge. When I was a high school student in 2012, I participated in the IDAWA project with Dallas County Conservation Board here in Iowa, where we traveled to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. I was led on this trek by Chris Adkins and Connie Saylor Johnson.

During this pilgrimage, I uncovered a new level of intimacy with the natural world, and I began to see my role in the universe differently. My short time in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness changed who I was as a person and changed the trajectory of my life. I felt that I owed a debt to repay the gifts I had received.

What experiences stood out to you the most during your time as an SBFC Fellow?

One of my favorite things to tell people is that I got to see a wolverine on my very first hitch to start the summer! It’s rare to spot these elusive mustelids, and even rarer to see one as low in elevation and as close-up as we did.

My hitch in the beautiful Soldier Lakes area was my favorite of the summer. I fondly recall hopping around the Soldier Lakes complex clearing trail and naturalizing campsites, fishing and enjoying sunsets in the evening, spotting a small wildfire in the distance from the Big Soldier Lookout, seeing a rainbow of wildflowers blooming on Patrol Ridge, and seeing a double rainbow in the sky while hiking down off Patrol Ridge to our camp.

What was the most important lesson you learned during your time with SBFC?

I had an “ah-ha!” moment about public land and Wilderness during a volunteer group hitch along the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. We were a larger group supported by packers from the Treasure Valley Backcountry Horsemen, dozens of rafters and kayakers passed us on the river daily, and there were airplanes flying in and out of nearby Wilderness airstrips. At first, it got on my nerves that this was partially degrading the Wilderness Character of the area. Slowly, however, I started to change my mindset. I came to understand these other people were operating within the bounds of the Wilderness Act to get out and experience the Frank in various ways. I needed to get out of my own worldview to grow in my understanding that these public lands are meant for everyone, even if they use them differently than I do.

What has been your career path since your time with SBFC?

I returned back to Iowa after finishing with SBFC, and I started out working in a corporate office, overseeing outdoor operations (prairie management, lawn care, landscaping, snow removal, etc.) for all the HOAs of a Des Moines real estate company. After working there for a short bit, I spent two years coordinating volunteer water quality monitoring in the state of Iowa for the nonprofit Izaak Walton League. Currently, I’ve been an environmental educator and natural resource manager for the Dallas County Conservation Board since July 2021.

How has what you learned while being a Fellow informed your current position, or your journey to where you are now?

Learning more about and living out Leave No Trace has helped shape my view of how humans interact with the natural world and public lands. Spending time doing hard challenges and learning new things in new places as an intern was a great confidence builder for me personally, and it’s encouraged me to push myself out of my comfort zone to earn rewarding experiences. Additionally, in my current position in Dallas County, I’ll be co-leading the IDAWA trek to volunteer with SBFC in the Selway, and I would not have the skills or confidence to do that without the cumulative Wilderness backpacking experiences and trainings I had as an intern with SBFC.