George Wright Society :: Parks, Protected Areas Cultural Sites

top of page

The George Wright Society champions stewardship of parks, protected & conserved areas, cultural sites, and other kinds of place-based conservation by connecting people, places, knowledge, and ideas. By uniting people from many different backgrounds around a common passion for protecting Earth’s natural and cultural heritage, we create the collaboration needed to meet today’s greatest conservation challenges.

INNOVATING ACROSS BOUNDARIES FOR
Parks • Cultural Sites
Protected / Conserved Areas

University of Montana, Missoula • October 20–23, 2025

Plan to join us as we launch a new series of annual workshops exploring the latest in place-based conservation!

Registration now open — register early and save!

Still accepting proposals for Posters and 3MR presentations

GWS ParkForum 2025 1-min Intro

GWS ParkForum 2025 1-min Intro

Play Video

Check out the latest issue of our open-access journal, Parks Stewardship Forum

tsa_social_media_graphic_150dpi_edited.p

INSPIRED BY GEORGE MELÉNDEZ WRIGHT

The first-ever biography of our namesake — the visionary who revolutionized management of America‘s national parks

“Emory’s enumeration of Wright’s accomplishments—including a survey of wildlife in Western parks, the first of its kind—is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Highly recommended for nature lovers and park enthusiasts.” LIBRARY JOURNAL

Watch our virtual chat
with author Jerry Emory!

Parkwire, GWS’s daily global digest

of park news • Follow on FB

Latest top headlines • 26 April 2025

Trump intends to cut down the size of 6 NMons to open up the land to energy development, according to the Washington Post. https://buff.ly/HMf2qsr

Burgum announced that DOI would try to largely bypass NEPA, ESA, and other laws to fast-track fossil fuel and other energy projects on federal lands under the guise of Trump's so-called energy emergency. Environmental groups vowed to fight the move in court. https://buff.ly/4PIzBhZ

Trump/Musk' dismantlement of USAID has halted successful conservation projects, including management of NPs and other PAs, around the world. https://buff.ly/38c8Zgh

A leaked draft strategy for DOI prioritizes energy production, suggests selling off some public lands, and hints that NMons may be downsized. https://buff.ly/sEyBw20

Eighty percent of the world's coral reefs have been damaged since 2023 as part of the worst global bleaching event on record. https://buff.ly/aypO1hq

A new USFWS inventory of the 573 NWRs revealed that none — zero — are adequately staffed or otherwise resourced. Eight percent were effectively "shuttered" altogether. https://buff.ly/jdz0MWH

Burgum has handed off sweeping powers at DOI to a DOGE official. https://buff.ly/MaBFXKZ

Responding to a range of threats from Trump, Canadians are cutting travel plans to the US, with impacts on park visitation and gateway communities. https://buff.ly/5mwOLVd

bottom of page