The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) is off to a great start this year in thinking creatively, with an eye on the future. We’re launching “Wild East,” a powerful public outreach initiative intended to increase support for the Trail and the lands that surround it. You, and hopefully millions of other people, are going to hear us talk about how the Appalachian Trail is the heart of an important corridor of open space in the eastern United States — open space that astonishingly remains intact, stretching nearly 2,200 miles, open space that needs attention and your support.

Just as the West has its allure of scenic vistas, starry skies, and towns of character, so does the Trail and its adjoining lands. The ATC is going to be talking about how the Wild East is every bit as important as the iconic, well-known national parks in the West. And how we now, urgently, need to make certain the future of the Trail is expansive, not limited.

It’s not only the particulars of pursuing Leave No Trace training and education, promoting flip flop thru-hikes, and attempting outside-the-box approaches that help conserve the Trail and sustain communities that make Deb Coleman such an exemplary Appalachian Trail Conservancy volunteer. It’s her willingness and eagerness to try new things, from doing Trail maintenance, to joining a local wilderness first responder rescue group, to trying corridor boundary maintenance. “If just one in 100 hikers did half of what Deb does,” says the ATC’s information services manager Laurie Potteiger, “we’d be on our way to cultivating our next generation of leaders.”

The fluting notes of a wood thrush serenade your one-pot dinner. A barred owl hoots “who cooks for you” in the night. A loon’s wail coils around your heart on a Maine lake. Wherever you are on the Appalachian Trail, birds offer sweet companionship. Yet, as hiker numbers soar, bird populations tumble.

More than half of North America species are experiencing major declines. We have a few billion less birds than 40 years ago. In one drastic example, the golden-winged warbler nests in multiple places along the A.T., including the Roan Highlands, where its numbers have plummeted by a staggering 98 percent. Within this sobering news, the A.T. shines with the promise of protection and ecological restoration. For instance, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s (ATC) habitat work on behalf of the golden-winged warbler is leading to an uptick in nesting birds, while serving hikers with more expansive views. The ATC also partners with other groups to conserve the warbler’s critical winter home in Columbia and Venezuela. This work across international boundaries will help to ensure the survival of this species.

“Awesome!” she replied. “And here I thought January camping would be a tough sell.”

Chloë works for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and needed to hit the Trail to scout a route for a “How to Hike the A.T.” backpacking course she’d be leading that spring, but I had my own motivations for joining her. I had just found out that I would be moving to Colorado in three weeks. While I was excited for all the skiing I would soon be doing, I knew that my hiking boots would get tucked away in a corner of my closet for the next few months. The mountains of western North Carolina had been my home for almost four years, and I couldn’t think of a better way to say goodbye for now than to spend a weekend exploring a new section of that familiar white-blazed Trail. So what if it was January?

Chris has also produced a beautiful and calming short video for the ATC featuring winter hiking and spring thaw. Visit: appalachiantrail.org/winterontheat, and immerse yourself in the virtual experience of winter on the Trail.

Chris and his wife, “Sunshine,” live in Black Mountain, North Carolina with their young son and infant daughter. Chris’ award-winning production company, Horizonline Pictures, produced ATC’s exceptional myATstory video series which can be viewed at: myATstory.org.

“EVERY YEAR, WHEN WE GET A GOOD SNOW, I head out into the thick of it. Winter imagery can be fleeting in the southern Appalachians, so it’s important to get out and stay out before all the fresh snow blows off the trees. For this particular storm, the eastern edge of the Smokies was going to get a good bit of snow from the west. We set our sights on Mount Cammerer. I’d been eyeing that little fire tower for many years while driving I-40 home each week at my old job. We chose Davenport Gap as our starting point due to its easy access and close proximity to my cabin. As we started up, there was just a bit of snow, but by the time we crested the ridge the drifts were knee deep, the wind was howling, and we kept getting quick glimpses of stars above us as the storm made its way out. With the wind, it was easily zero degrees — we prayed that the tower would be unlocked so we could escape the cold and make a cup of coffee while awaiting the sunrise. Luck was on our side — fresh grounds in the AeroPress, a bagel with peanut butter and honey, and then it was time to get to work. The clouds cleared and the sun rose over fresh snow on the pines and distant mountains. It was a photographer’s dream. Sometimes I get shut out, stuck in a cloud, or the light is no good. But mornings like this I hold dear; they keep me going in hopes for the next one.” ~ Steven Yocum