The Price We Pay to Play: Outdoor Recreation’s Impact on Nature - Nancy Zimny

An opinion piece written and read by Nancy Zimny.Nancy Zimny has been a resident of Richmond, Vermont, for 43 years and is a lifelong outdoor recreationist. She is a retired UVM Professor of Physical Therapy who based her teaching on the clinical science underlying therapeutic rehabilitation techniques for humans and eventually companion animals as a certified canine rehabilitation therapist. Today, she volunteers at a farm animal sanctuary and has been closely following the discussions of the Andrews Community Forest Committee in Richmond as they discuss ways to “balance” recreation and conservation there.Editor’s Note: The author is the spouse of Ian Stokes, former co-chair and current member of Richmond’s Andrews Community Forest Committee (dealing with the recreation-conservation issues in the forest). He has had no input into or participation in this article.Read the full opinion piece and discover additional content in the Fall 2025 Issue of From the Ground Up.