Events

The Conservancy believes in the power of connecting people to nature. Our events are designed to give participants a unique view of lands we protect and an understanding of why they matter. We also work to instill the value of natural places in our community to raise up a human support structure for the earth here in the Inland Northwest.

Paths Toward Belonging: Hike IV

A Philosophical Hiking Series with INLC & EWU – Hike IV — Belonging & the Conservation Aesthetic

Join EWU philosophy professor and volunteer hike docent Chris Kirby for the final hike in our spring Paths of Belonging series at Palisades Rimrock. Since 2008, Chris Kirby has taught classes in Asian philosophies and environmental ethics at EWU.

This concluding walk brings the series full circle, exploring belonging and the conservation aesthetic—how care for place emerges through attention, relationship, and appreciation. Whether you’ve joined us for the entire journey or are stepping in for the first time, you are warmly welcome. Together, we will reflect on how walking, noticing, and thinking within a landscape can shape an ethical commitment to conservation grounded not only in responsibility, but in love of place.

Theme: Belonging & the Conservation Aesthetic

Reading: Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac, “Great Possessions”

Philosophical Focus: This culminating hike brings the series fully into place. Leopold’s reflections emphasize that conservation is rooted in long-term familiarity, affection, and attention to particular landscapes. Through repeated encounters with the land, participants are invited to reflect on how memory, beauty, and responsibility emerge from knowing a place well—and how care grows from that intimacy.

Conservation is framed not merely as stewardship or obligation, but as a lived relationship with land—one shaped by presence, gratitude, identity, and care for a place that has come to matter.

Hike Details:

  • Date: Sunday, June 7 at 10am
  • Where to meet: Palisades North Trail Head-2110 N Houston Rd, Spokane, WA 99224 Map it
  • Duration: 2 hours
  • Distance: 4 miles- The walk is mostly flat with gravel road trails.
  • What to bring: Make sure to check the weather on the day of the hike to dress appropriately. Comfortable hiking shoes are recommended. Bring water and clothing appropriate to the day’s weather.

 

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