Thanks for visiting this page and making a donation to my Appalachian Trial hike for the Nature Conservancy's "Plant a Billion Trees" campaign. I'll also be updating my Blog prior to and during my trip. www.mikemccollum.blogspot.com

"Adopt the pace of nature:  her secret is patience."  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Why raise money for the Nature Conservancy? I wanted my trek to be about something bigger than myself. The Nature Conservancy's goal is to preserve the plants, animals and nature communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. It's my way of giving back to the woods that will be my home for up to six months.

The funds you donate to my page will go toward the Nature Conservancy's "Plant a Billion Trees" campaign. Each $1 goes toward one planted tree in the Amazon. It's a great, tangible way for you to picture what your donation can do. Just think about how great you'll feel about planting 5, 10 or 15 trees — that may stand for a hundred years.

For more information about the "Plant a Billion Trees" campaign, visit www.plantabillion.org or visit the Nature Conservancy's Web site at www.nature.org

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." ~Mark Twain

I don't think I could explain why I'm hiking 2,175 miles from Georgia to Maine this spring better than the preceding quote. I planned to hike the Appalachian Trail, or the AT, on a previous occasion, only to spend the cash on a summer-long trip to Europe. The desire to march approximately 1 million footsteps never left me, and I have the time prior to working on my PhD in September, so why not?

One final quotes that may help me get off my ass.

"I have long since come to believe that people never mean half of what they say, and that it is best to disregard their talk and judge only their actions." ~Dorothy Day — Anarchist and founder of the Catholic Workers Movement

Thanks, Mike

For more information about the Appalachian Trail, visit the Appalachian Trail Conference