By David Coggins

We asked our friend, fellow Northerner, and New York Times bestselling author, David Coggins, to share his climate story. David is best known for his writings on design and style, but he’s also an avid fisherman and it’s his love of the outdoors that inspires his message of stewardship and call to action.

We’re grateful to David for adding his voice to the conversation and you can find more of his insights over on The Contender.

Yellowstone National Park was founded in 1872. It was advocated for by a group of civic-minded people who knew what the natural world meant in principle and in practice. It remains a symbol of America’s beauty, a place to hike, to camp, to admire animals, even to catch a trout. It’s one of the great legacies in this country.

When I started to go to Yellowstone years ago to fly fish, I thought one of its joys was that it was held in public trust, for everyone. The more time I spend there, among the herds of bison, pursuing cutthroat trout, the more I realize that with that trust comes responsibility. It was here before us and will be here after us. But in what condition will we leave Yellowstone and its waters? Or any of our parks and forests, rivers and lakes?

We’re living through a climate crisis that affects every living thing. That sounds serious because it is serious. Warmer waters mean fewer fish, but if we don’t change course, that will be the least of our problems.

Loving the natural world is easy. Protecting it is hard. It requires the long view and a more selfless stance. It also requires action, and this November, that means voting. This is our window of opportunity to bring the Earth back into balance, and that would be the greatest legacy of all.

You can catch up with David on his Instagram and read more of his writing at The Contender.