In 1903, John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt camped together in Yosemite. The trip profoundly shaped Roosevelt's understanding of America's natural landscapes, sending ripples that would eventually reach the halls of Washington, D.C. It was one of many moments in a much larger conversation about how a nation should relate to the landscapes that sustain it.

In many ways, our natural landscapes are the source of our prosperity. They provide the timber, minerals, water, fertile soil, and ecological systems upon which our society depends. Yet the very act of drawing wealth from the land can also diminish the landscapes that make that prosperity possible. Throughout American history, this tension has given rise to competing visions of environmental stewardship.

In this session, Tusk & Quill Writer and environmental enthusiast Michael Oberschewen explores the evolution of three influential stewardship paradigms—preservation, conservation, and restoration—and the thinkers who brought these ideas into public life.