Walkin' Jim also Talkin' and Singin' in Virginia

The Roanoke (VA) Times of 26 October 2007 carries an article titled "Walkin' Jim strolls into the New River Valley; As increased attention is given to climate change, the well-known hiker continues to talk about the importance of reconnecting with nature" by Tim Thornton. It describes the appearance locally of Jim "Walkin' Jim" Stoltz with his multi-media show at Virginia Tech’s Squires Student Center, Colonial Hall, as "part of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's 'A Trail to Every Classroom' project."

Here's how Stoltz got involved in hiking and talking about the environment:

"It was 1973. Stoltz had dropped out of college and was casting about for what to do with his life. On a day hike in Shenandoah National Park, he met a hiker who was traveling the entire Appalachian Trail. That was pretty rare then. Only 37 people covered the entire AT during the 1960s -- and not all of them did it in one trip.

"Stoltz and the hiker talked for half an hour. Stoltz decided he wanted to walk the AT. The next summer, he did it.

"Then he took an 18-month, 5,000-mile walk from Maine to Washington. That's when people started calling him Walkin' Jim."

So now with his music, photography, and stories, Walkin' Jim Stoltz is spreading the message about the need to preserve wild places.