National Parks Traveler

Jim 'Stratto' Stratton recently retired from a 35 year career working to protect public lands in Alaska and the West.  In retirement, his business card reads "Public Lands & Wildlife Enthusiast."  He started his Alaska conservation career in 1981 as the Executive Director of the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council and then spent 11 years as the Program & Finance Director for Alaska Conservation Foundation.  He took a turn working for state government for eight years as the director of the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation for the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. 

Stratto finished his career in 2015 as the Deputy Vice President for Regional Operations for the National Parks Conservation Association after running NPCA's Alaska Regional Office for a decade.  

Volunteering with environmental NGOs now occupies his activist time as he serves on the boards of the environmental law firm Trustees for Alaska, Boreal Songbird Initiative and TREC (Training Resources for the Environmental Community).  He's a member of the Alaska NPCA regional council and assists the Alaska Conservation Foundation with their annual conservation awards.

When not volunteering for conservation efforts, he travels the country with his Alto trailer working his way to getting all 417 stamps in his NPS passport and he blogs about his travels at strattoparks.blogspot.com.  He is a serious birder, likes to fly fish and hike, and is always on the lookout for a good mystery to read.  Stratto holds a degree in Recreation and Parks Management from the University of Oregon and an MBA from Alaska Pacific University.

Credit for Jim's photo goes to Scott Kirkwood - taken at Kobuk Valley National Park.