Outdoor Writers Showcase - January 2026
These last two months, OWAA members covered corner-crossing on public lands, dog coat care, the Rails to Trails Conservancy, and one of Montana's last best photographers.
Greetings from the Outdoor Writers Association of America on the other side of the new year. The Writers Showcase took the month of December off to enjoy the holiday season, which arrived with its usual last-minute fanfare before fading into January. Now, outdoor communicators everywhere get back to work spreading the conservation message in the myriad ways they know how, while continuing to date their notebook entries and new documents incorrectly. Some might do so until spring.
Winter weather hardly means hibernation for our crowd. Skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, ice fishing, late-season hunting, winter hiking, the opportunities to breathe fresh, cold air are endless. As for those who live in places where winter means 70 degrees and sunshine, well…soak up some rays for the rest of us, please.
Members At Work
“We Corner Crossed the Wyoming Ranch That Started It All. Accessing Those Public Lands Is Still Complicated”
Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, January 7
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court declining to take up the famed corner-crossing case, Peterson follows fellow Wyomingite and public lands law expert David Willms and a group of friends on an attempt to corner-cross their way to the top of Elk Mountain — the place where the conflict first began.
“A Field Test of ‘Soul Glo’”
Chris Midgette, The Hunting Traveller/Boykin Spaniel Society Magazine, January 7
Some products — like this satirical bird dog coat varnish of Midgette’s own imagination — are just too good to be true.
“Creating Outdoor Space for All”
Andrew Sharp, Sierra, December 2
Sharp’s exploration into the Rails to Trails Conservancy unearths the organization’s history, its bright future, and the people who have propelled it forward since 1986. Today, some 26,000 miles of rail trails criss-cross the nation, and work toward the Great American Rail Trail from Washington State to Washington D.C. continues.
“Photographer Discovers the Meaningful Layers of Montana”
Suzanne Downing, ActionHub, January 15
Downing’s profile of Montana photographer and OWAA member Andy Austin takes readers on a journey through the Montana of Austin’s eyes and camera lens. At the center of the piece is Austin’s new photo book, MONTANA: Photographs from the Last Best Place.
OWAA News
We’re coming down to the wire for the Norm Strung Youth Writing Contest, OWAA Student Photo Contest, and Excellence in Craft Awards! Find all the details and submit your work for consideration at OWAA’s Submittable page. All contest submissions share the same deadline of January 31.
Lastly, This…
Get ready to recruit! The OWAA Membership Drive will commence on February 1. Members of OWAA will have six months to bring in as many new members as possible, all while competing for monthly prize drawings and growing our organizational reach.
Have a few potential members in mind? Direct them to the OWAA application page to apply. Make sure they include your name in the “Sponsor” field of the application so we can count them toward your recruitment total on the leaderboard. Be on the lookout for more instructions and details coming soon.
See you next month!
The monthly Outdoor Writers Showcase newsletter highlights work published by current members of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. If you’re a current member and would like to see your work or professional accomplishments featured, please submit links for consideration to this Google form OR comment on the weekly Friday Brag post in the OWAA Members Only Facebook group.
Not a member of OWAA? Creating work that aligns with these stories? Join us today.