By Guest Blogger (and NWPC Intern) Austin Langon in honor of Women's History Month
I grew up in a home with three women all of whom were strong willed, ambitious, and very compassionate. This combination of ambition and caring instilled in me the idea that equality is not only necessary but must be worked for every day. In rural Pennsylvania, in the northern tier of Appalachia, it is not always wise for a young man to pronounce himself a feminist but perhaps it’s for this reason, the influence of the women in my life, that I didn’t view my opinions as radical.
Having grown up with feminist ideology in the bucolic paradise that is northern Appalachia I was able to not only firmly ground my beliefs in the injustices I saw in this country towards women, but I was also able to release whatever testosterone fueled adventurous plans in the wilderness that surrounded me. Being an avid outdoors man and sportsman, whether it be kayaking down the Leigh River, hiking the Appalachian Trail, or harvesting the fauna from the mountains, I fell in love with the outdoors. I have been involved in scouting since I was five years old and I first went to Hawk Mountain as a Tiger Cub. There at the North Lookout, eating Little Debbie oatmeal cakes, I found what has become my favorite place. Hawk Mountain is a playground for those who view wildlife and conservation as a passion in their life. Allowing for ornithology, deer hunting, hiking, and located along the Little Schuylkill River, kayakers are always passing by. Hawk Mountain was founded not by a burly woodsman, but by a socialite suffragist by the name of
Rosalie Edge.
