Wilderness group welcomes new intern
<p>Kara Adam, from the "up the Yaak," has joined Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness as an intern. Her tenure will run for 20 weeks.</p>
Kara Adam, from “up the Yaak,” has joined Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness as an intern. Her tenure will run for 20 weeks, roughtly through the end of July. She will be learning about and completing outreach programs in Libby and Troy, surveying these communities about interest and attitudes regarding wilderness — the Scotchman Peaks in particular — and helping with trail work in the area as well.
“We may bank some of her hours so she can help with the Harvest Festival in September,” says FSPW program coordinator Sandy Compton. “I think Kara is going to be a great asset for us in Lincoln County.”
Adam, who has a love of travel, has been to National and State parks from New England down through the Appalachians all the way to Florida to Key. She then came West, to Northern California’s Sierra Nevada, to Southern California, and then up to the Pacific Northwest
“And, don’t forget all of the little places in between,” Adam says. “When I lived on the East Coast, I was constantly disappointed every time I went to a new area and, lo and behold, there was a paved trail to walk on.” This led her to travel far and wide in search of an area as “wild and free as myself.” She landed in Montana in 2013.
Adam brings to FSPW a deep love for the outdoors; hiking, fishing, camping, photographing landscapes, flora and fauna, and gathering medicinal and edible plants. She is likely to raise her head in curiosity if someone is talking about any one of those topics in her vicinity, and she may even want to go along on a hike with them!
Adam has a two-year degree specializing in art and enjoys intermixing her two passions. “Nature and art go hand in hand in my eyes,” she says. “There is so much beauty in the world, sometimes it is hard to take it all in.”
Being outdoors has a grounding affect that goes a long way with her personality, which makes the FSPW intern position “right down her trail.” Local history also intrigues her, which for her, means never actually leaving the “school environment” Even how the land was formed raises questions with Adam.
“There is always something to be more educated about.” she says. “Hearing about Native American history has a special spot in my heart on account of my grandfather being part Cherokee.”
For the past few years, Adam has been learning about the vast number of plant species and wildlife in this area. Skills in finding food, medicine and forest treasures are something that she has not only learned to appreciate, but wants to help preserve. She believes that hunting and gathering is a part of our heritage that should be unspoiled and managed properly so that there are abundant resources for the generations to come.