For over 130 years, the Appalachian Mountain Club has brought people of all ages into the outdoors so they could learn about and appreciate our natural world and ultimately become stewards and advocates for the places we love. In April 2010, President Barack Obama kicked off the America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) Initiative with a White House Conference and written announcement calling for interagency collaboration to develop a conservation and recreation strategy worthy of the 21st century.
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The President hopes that by creating better connections between recreational resources, and renewing Americans’ relationship with the outdoors, we will, as a nation, provide better protection for the national treasures we have in our trails, waters, forests, parks and farms. With the close alignment to AMC’s mission, our members and advocates have a unique opportunity to share their stories, experiences, and ideas to help shape the America's Great Outdoors Initiative.  

Over the summer, AMC collected stories and photos from our members and supporters depicting their favorite places. Take a wander through a selection of these stories for some wonderful expressions of what we love about America's Great Outdoors.

The Administration is collecting ideas, success stories and advice from the public about how people connect to the outdoors and what barriers prevent people, especially children, from spending time in natural surroundings. The Initiative will also seek information about successful public and private land protection strategies, volunteer stewardship activities, how local programs can get people back outside into the parks, and what the federal role is—and can be—in accelerating progress on these efforts. All of these ideas and stories will form a report, due in November, with proposed strategies and activities to achieve the overall goals of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. A key outcome will be a better understanding of how the federal government can support conservation, recreation, and education through partnerships between agencies, private businesses, communities, and non-profits.

AMC’s deep reservoir of knowledge, represented by our active volunteers and members, can provide valuable perspective and ideas. We will be actively encouraging AMC chapters, camps, staff, and volunteers to participate in sharing their ideas and experiences at planned listening sessions in our region.  

Here's what you can do:

• Make sure the Administration knows about the place you love by submitting a brief story about your time and memories there.  AMC will compile all stories and send them to the administration.
  
• Share your idea for reconnecting people with the outdoors, caring for public land, and supporting private land conservation.
  
• Attend a listening session; information will be posted as information becomes available. View suggested speaking points that you can print out and take with you (PDF) >>