Forestry Father
Home is where the heart is for Forest Ethics activist, Todd Paglia.
Todd Paglia, Executive Director for Forest Ethics, lives a life
full of family, activism, and the great outdoors. Paglia found his
calling as an activist while working as a consumer protection attorney
for Ralph Nader. “It was one of the best experiences in my life,”
Paglia reminisces. “Working for Ralph was working for the people.
It was worth it. I was rescued.” Paglia joined Forest Ethics in
1999. Forest Ethics is a non-profit, environmental organization
that seeks to protect nature, wildlife, and human welfare. “My career
and my life came from Clayoquot,” Paglia confesses. He met his wife,
Shannon Wright, while fighting to save the river valley of Clayoquot
Sound. Today, biking to work as much as he can, Paglia lives his
beliefs both in the office and out. “If I could shout one thing
from a mountaintop, it would be: “STOP, Slow down, and listen. Take
in nature; it’s speaking to you. ” he says. “Work is only a part
of my life. The most important thing is my family. But that’s not
something you say, it’s something you do.” Not surprisingly, Paglia’s
work and play fit together marvelously. The outdoorsy family takes
weekly hikes. “My kids have been hiking since they were two and
a half years old!” The Paglia family hikes in all weather, and loves
to venture out on regular 3-mile, 1000-foot-elevation strolls through
the Chuckanut Mountains. Story-telling at night and food also play
a major role in family life too. “We cook together every night.
Homemade pasta Saturday; homemade pizza Sunday,” Paglia shares.
Everyone, from Grandma E-mau to his five and three-year-old sons,
Nico and Luca, help out. Paglia’s recipe for a happy life is simple:
a loving family, a passion for nature, and most importantly, a rare
willingness to slow down. With such a delicious mixture of ingredients,
who would not want to savor the moment? www.forestethics.org
(text by simone haruko smith) photography
by sandi heinrich
