Remembering Lifelong Wilderness Advocate, Roberta Moore
Last week, Roberta Moore, a longtime advocate for wilderness, former Washington Wild Board Member, and retired National Park Service Ranger and Interpreter, passed away. Washington Wild’s Board and Staff wish to extend our deepest condolences to Roberta’s loved ones, and all who were fortunate enough to experience her passion for our wild places. She will be sorely missed.
Roberta served on Washington Wild’s Board from May 2022 to March of this year. In that time she provided invaluable insight, passion, and support for the development of our Washington Wild Lands and Waters Youth Explorer Booklet. In developing and promoting the booklet, Roberta shared with us her talent for inspiring kids to connect with our wild places honed over her years of experience as an Interpretive Park Ranger at Great Basin National Park. The following is an excerpt from a letter of support penned by Roberta as part of our Spring 2023 campaign to fund the project.
“Nothing compares to seeing the light in a child’s eyes when they discover the magic of wild places. And it gets even better when they realize that these wild, magical places are right under their feet—close enough to see, touch, smell, and discover. As a former Interpretive Park Ranger at Great Basin National Park in Nevada, I had the great fortune of helping make that connection for kids. Showing them firsthand that wild places are closer than they think and absolutely accessible to them.
An infamous Great Basin Bristlecone pine, Johnathan A. Webb
I remember a school group of prospective Junior Rangers, 3rd and 4th graders visiting from nearby Las Vegas. Coming from a city brimming with glitter, gold, and neon, their visit to Great Basin NP (world-renowned for its dark skies) on a cold, snowy day in January could not have provided a greater contrast. As they stepped off the bus, I was stunned by how many asked “What is that white stuff on the ground?”. When I explained it was snow, I could see their curiosity explode and their imaginations run wild with the chance to play in this new, beautiful landscape.
Lehman Caves, Jack Brauer
One door opened and the next, as I led us into another world, the deep, dark of Lehman Caves. After a short introduction and some fun facts about underground geology, I handed them clipboards, paper, and pencils, and sent them on their way. Within moments, you could see their minds burst with new ideas; making connections, pondering questions, the thrill of discovery, and most importantly, appreciation.
Outside of my work as a National Park Ranger, I’ve also developed programs to introduce kids to “Playground Wilderness”. Amid one group’s explorations, I overhead a fifth-grader reminding her group of something very important. She told the group, “Remember what Roberta told us about our playground being a wild place, where all the insects and other critters that live here under the plants, live in their own wilderness.” I am of course paraphrasing her comments, but the heart of this story is in the process of discovery. Making the connection and appreciating that wild places are far closer than those kids could have ever imagined!
We need environmental education programs like Washington Wild’s Wild Lands & Waters Explorer program. Kids need to be introduced to a world without walls. They need to know that ‘the wild’ does not just exist in faraway places, there is also wilderness that waits for them just outside their front and/or back doors. They need to build this connection and sense of place, of belonging. And I believe Washington Wild has created a program that will do just that. The Wild Lands & Waters Explorer booklet will open these doors, leading our kids, and maybe even their parents, to paths of discovery.
Our kids deserve for us to help bring back the wonder! Youth deserve to be empowered to throw open doors and windows and travel the roads of discovery. They deserve to make the connection that these opportunities are just steps ahead, not miles away.”
Largely thanks to Roberta’s support, the first print run of the Washington Wild Lands and Waters Explorer booklets was dispersed among a network of local teachers and educators, camp counselors, and Girl Scout Troops at the start of the summer. We are continuing to gather feedback and are excited for our next, larger print run sometime soon!
Before her move to Washington, Roberta worked her magic in Nevada as a National Park Service Ranger and Interpreter at Great Basin National Park Ranger, artist, and advocate. In 2005 she was instrumental in the 2005 publication of Wild Nevada: Testimonies on Behalf of the Desert as co-editor. Her poem, “From Splinter of the Moon—A Prayer for Nevada’s Wilderness” also appears within its pages. And in 2013 she was elected to the Board of Directors for Friends of Nevada Wilderness where she and her husband David were often hosting conservationists and travelers at their ranch or leading private tours of Lehman Caves.
