Connecting federal employees, scientists, educators, and the public with their wilderness heritage

50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act Toolbox

The 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act Toolbox is a 'work in progress' and new materials and resources will be added as the 50th anniversary approaches. This toolbox contains information and educational resources for planning local or regional events celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act in 2014. If you have materials to suggest for inclusion in the toolbox, please contact Lisa Eidson at lisa@wilderness.net. Date of last update: 12/27/12.

General Information
Logo
1. Official 50th Anniversary Logo
  This zip file contains .gif, .jpg, .pdf, .eps, and .png formats in high and low resolution. Read the use guide below for guidance on which file format will be best for your intended use.
2. Use Guide
3. Letterhead
Events and Event Ideas
1. 50th Anniversary National Wilderness Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 15-19, 2014
  1. Location Selection Letter
2. Wilderness Ranger Cookbook
  In 1990, the Forest Service produced the first-ever Wilderness Ranger Cookbook. For the 50th anniversary, the cookbook will be redone and expanded to include recipes from all four wilderness management agencies, from any wilderness ranger, wilderness volunteer or resource specialist who works in congressionally designated wilderness.
3. Planning Ideas and Materials
  1. Idea Mill
    Idea MillThis User Voice site is a place where anyone can suggest and vote on ideas for how to celebrate the 50th anniversary. Use this site as an idea generator for your event, or share your celebration ideas with others.
  2. Banner
    Produced by the Forest Service Region 8, these banners are being used at many events.
  3. Community Wilderness Quilt or Flag
    1. General Information and Description
      Working with schools, school classes, church or bible study groups, scouts or other youth groups is a great and creative way to honor a local wilderness area, particularly if you live near one of the 50-year-old wilderness areas designated by the 1964 Wilderness Act. The quilt, or flag, is essentially a large-scale map of the wilderness (complete with forests, lakes, trails, topo lines and/or other details) that is cut into squares, which are decorated, adorned, sketched, and/or painted by classes or groups in the community. The individual squares are pieced back together for display, showing both the whole wilderness and the individual creativity of the square artists.
    2. Instructions
      Use these step-by-step instruction, complete with pictures, to lay out your quilt or flag.
  4. Essay Contest
    1. Essay Contest Description, Importance, Benefits and Volunteer Roles
      An essay contest is a great way to engage youth in original, creative, articulation of wilderness values. The Montana Wilderness Association and Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness are two groups that have conducted essay contests in the past, so contact these groups for additional guidance.
    2. Sample Flyer
    3. Sample Essay Questions
  5. First Aid Kit
    Forest Service Rangers are required to carry first aid supplied. These first aid kits include not only the agency shield, but information about the 50th anniversary.
  6. Museum/Airport/Visitor Center Exhibit
    1. Request Template
      Museums, airports, and visitor centers are high-traffic areas that can be used to present educational exhibites about wilderness. Use this request template to approach area museums, airports, or visitor centers about securing exhibit space in 2014 (do this early, even if you do not have a clear idea yet of what the display will contain).
  7. PowerPoints
    1. 50 Years of American Wilderness
      This photo-filled presentation tells the story of the wilderness movement from the 1500s to today. Suggested narration is given for each slide in the notes.
    2. What's the status of 50th anniversary wilderness celebration planning?
      Interested in telling others about what types of events will be occuring to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act in 2014? This presentation outlines many of the events and projects that the 50th Anniversary National Wilderness Planning Team, a coalition of government agencies, NGOs, and academic institutions, is spearheading for 2014.
    3. Wilderness Jeopardy
      This makes a great ice-breaker or can be used as a fun activity at conferences or events.
    4. Wilderness Trivia
      Set this to auto-run and use it as filler to entertain groups before the start of a conference, event or film.
  8. Walk For Wilderness
    1. Planning Guide
      During the 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, the most popular and prevalently held event was the "Wilderness Walk." Use this emailable/printable planning guide to host a wilderness walk in your community. The guide provides valuable advice on everything from selecting a site to engaging partners in an easy-to-read format.
  9. Water Bottle
    A limited number of Kleen Kanteen water bottles were produced by the Bureau of Land Management in California. The BLM logo appears on the back.
4. Educational Products
  Purchase stickers, bookmarks, lanyards, hand sanitizer, backpack towels, bandanas, rite-in-the-rain notebooks and other educational products online.
Social Media
1. 50th Anniversary Facebook Page
2. 50th Anniversary Flickr Group
  Post your event photos, or have your attendees post their event photos.
3. YouTube Videos