Joseph T. O'Connor

Feb 20, 2025 | bozemandailychronicle.com | Joseph T. O'Connor |Amanda Eggert

When Allison Borges was hired on as a weeds specialist with the U.S. Forest Service in May 2024, she was thrilled. She moved to Bozeman from her home in Washington state, spending the drive thinking about how she would finally be able to afford new furniture. Being a permanent employee on the Custer Gallatin National Forest was a dream, and five seasons at Mount Rainier National Park as a noxious weeds specialist paved the way. “I love this job,” Borges, 37, said in a Feb. 18 interview.

Feb 20, 2025 | montanafreepress.org | Joseph T. O'Connor |Amanda Eggert

When Allison Borges was hired on as a weeds specialist with the U.S. Forest Service in May 2024, she was thrilled. She moved to Bozeman from her home in Washington state, spending the drive thinking about how she would finally be able to afford new furniture. Being a permanent employee on the Custer Gallatin National Forest was a dream, and five seasons at Mount Rainier National Park as a noxious weeds specialist paved the way. “I love this job,” Borges, 37, said in a Feb. 18 interview.

Oct 9, 2023 | mountainjournal.org | Joseph T. O'Connor

Back to StoriesBy Joseph T. O'ConnorIn the 2009documentary, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, Dayton Duncanquotes the late American author and historian Wallace Stegner about the dualityof human beings and our free will. We are, to paraphrase Stegner’s powerfulquote, at once dangerous and capable of mercy.

Jun 19, 2023 | mountainjournal.org | Joseph T. O'Connor

Back to StoriesJune 20, 2023by JosephT. O’ConnorGALLATINGATEWAY, Montana – This small town sits astride one of the most celebratedstretches of water in the country—not far from where A River Runs Through Itwas filmed and where wildlife watchers, fly-fishing anglers, kayakers and raftersbask in the glory of this blue-ribbon stream.

Jun 5, 2023 | mountainjournal.org | Joseph T. O'Connor

Back to StoriesJune 6, 2023by Joseph T. O’ConnorThe sun beat down on his neck as he pushed through shoulder-highsage and branches of white bark pine. Tall Douglas firs threw spots of shade thatat this elevation, despite the 82-degree weather, still held small pockets ofsnow. It wasn’t quite noon, but even in mid-May and high in the Montana mountains,Keegan David was hot. He removed his pack, took a sip of water from a nearbystream, and continued on.