2025 National Wilderness Week
September 15-17, 2025
Photo Credit: Sonja Saxe
During National Wilderness Week, advocates, ecologists, policy experts, business owners, and public lands users from across the country come together in Washington, D.C., to:
build their knowledge and skills as wilderness advocates
talk to congressional offices about the importance of wilderness and other public lands issues
strategize with leading conservation experts
create connections and community necessary to sustain a vibrant wilderness movement
Listen to a live recording of The Wild Idea Podcast at National Wilderness Week!
with special guest Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota
The Wild Idea Podcast, hosted by Bill Hodge and Anders Reynolds, features conversations with experts and thought leaders that dive into the ways humans have both embraced and impacted the function and vitality of our remaining wild places.
This special episode marks the podcast’s first live recording, in partnership with the National Wilderness Coalition during National Wilderness Week in Washington, D.C. Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota joined to talk about the Boundary Waters, a place she calls one of her favorites on earth.
Smith also digs into today’s political battles. From efforts to roll back the Roadless Rule to debates over mining and public land protections, she urges advocates not to give in to exhaustion.
She points to the power of combining personal stories with facts, highlighting the role of young voices and broad coalitions in making sure wild places stay protected. Together we ask: How do we sustain ourselves in long fights for conservation? What stories move people more than numbers? And how do we make protecting places like the Boundary Waters a winning cause across the nation?
Bill Hodge is the co-founder of Wild Idea Media and co-host of The Wild Idea Podcast. Before launching Wild Idea Media he spent the last 16 years at the forefront of wilderness stewardship, leading organizations that are local, regional and national in scope. Bill has also been a part of several public land legislative victories and is a fierce advocate for the care of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
Anders Reynolds is co-host of The Wild Idea Podcast and Federal Legislative Director at the Southern Environmental Law Center. He has spent the majority of his career at the intersection of politics and public lands policy, working at The Pew Charitable Trusts on wilderness and other protective designations and as a legislative director for a Member of Congress. Anders served in the Obama Administration as a policy analyst for the Delta Regional Authority, and has extensive federal and state campaign experience.
Indigenous Visibility Event hosted by NWC Indigenous Committee
The National Wilderness Coalition’s (NWC) Indigenous Committee was proud to host an Indigenous Visibility Event in partnership with Representative Leger Fernández of New Mexico on Wednesday, Sept. 17. The event highlighted the important leadership role Indigenous Peoples have always played and continue to play in protecting wilderness and public lands.
Additional National Wilderness Week Events
Congressional Office Meetings
September 15-17
During National Wilderness Week, wilderness advocates met with Members of Congress to discuss issues affecting wilderness and wilderness quality lands.
Happy Hour with Latino Conservation Week
September 17
National Wilderness Week concluded with a happy hour in partnership with Latino Conservation Week to celebrate our shared efforts to build vibrant and diverse movements to protect our shared natural heritage.