Catherine Semcer

remember that a lot of outdoor traditions survive because somebody made the effort to bring us along when we were young.

“The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence” - Thomas Merton

“What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.” - Oscar Wilde.

Backcountry Nationalism

Remember what they took from you.

LISTEN: 10 years ago, extraordinary partnerships across geography, culture, and politics helped make the American bison the U.S.’s National Mammal. 🔊 apple.co/4wr1TJz #WCSWildAudio

If you don’t think of America as an “Economic zone,” where foreign solar mega corps can come into our towns and outbid 5th generation ranching families on their public land leases, please take an interest in the story of Casey Murph @caseymurph1. Even if you’re not with us in the West, Western people keep our frontier heritage and culture that makes places like the Grand Canyon a place where you want to visit with your family (Casey worked mule operations there for years, a dangerous and extremely skilled operation bringing trains of mules/supplies up and down the steep canyon that carries on traditions going back centuries). Operations like Casey’s are extremely important to maintaining wide open spaces that ungulate species depend on because they’re migratory. Cattle grazing leases don’t exclude native wildlife, the vast arid rangelands of Arizona provide habitat for deer, pronghorn, and elk. In a dry summer like this, water developments maintained by guys like Casey may be some wildlife’s only option. Please take an interest in Casey, and in people getting the word out about Casey like @americaunwon & Ms. Keely.

American Summer inbound

Conservation is responsibility. Not ideology.

There were once trees in this country so large, they blocked out the sun for miles. They shaped trails, towns, and spirit. Now most are gone and most people don’t even know what was lost. Not metaphorically. Physically. Entire forests erased. 🧵

Americans deserve clean food production. Food should be nutrient-dense, responsibly grown, and free from unnecessary chemicals. Not engineered for shelf life at the expense of public health.

My favourite moment from last night was when the audience at the Royal Albert Hall, including Prince William, sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Sir David Attenborough 🎶🥹💚

When I think of “influencers,” David Attenborough comes to mind as one of the originals and one of the most deserving of emulation. To find and retain greatness a people must also honour it, as this perfect tribute to Attenborough does.

Live Free or Die

Bison are iconic. Symbols of unity throughout America’s history. Today, we celebrate 10 years since the American bison was named the U.S. National Mammal. Thank you to all who have worked to ensure the species continues to thrive.

At what point does technology stop being a tool and start doing the hunting for you? Daniel Pedrotti Jr. drew a sharp line, and it starts with an unexpected comparison to Olympic gold. 🔗☣️ Link in bio.

“Things are expensive! Consolidate! Consolidate the housing! Consolidate the churches! Consolidate the schools!” You should resist this if able. There is a popular belief floating around that with any institution, you can only choose two of these three: - High quality public services - Lack of density - Low cost The urbanist and leftist will advocate reflexively for density so they can retain an imagined high-quality low cost public service. These do not exist. In reality, you just end up with less agency and more dependence on increasingly corrupt and incompetent institutions. You need room to breathe, American.

Early 20th Century advertisement.

Your grandfather tucked in his shirt, knotted a tie, and walked into the backcountry to hunt big game. And he looked better doing it than most of us ever will. We pulled the best photos from the archives. 🔗☣️ Link in bio.

@OldHollowTree @DanielleBFranz I remember a reason parents choose LL Bean was its durability. A sweater or pair of cords could be shared by siblings or other close relations as children grew. I think that helped contribute to the sense of rootedness, of permanance….frugality fostered a sense of belonging.

People will tell you “you can’t go home again.” I think about that a lot. There was a quality, a weight, to the things we had decades ago. This was especially apparent in New England when LL Bean still made things in America. Maybe it sounds superficial to place so much importance on material items but the truth is the substantive nature of these good old American-made home goods rooted us in a shared cultural identity and ethos. They mattered. I grew up in Vermont and my relatives lived in coastal Massachusetts. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t trying to recapture the weight things had in my childhood. Everything felt grounded, like it couldn’t just float away with the whims of our capricious, wounded world. Call it nostalgia, but I am actively chasing that, hunting it down. That good old America is out there and by God we’ll have it again.