Sam Stearns is a forest protection activist from Southern Illinois and has been working to protect the Shawnee National Forest for most of his life. He is the founder of Friends of Bell Smith Springs and a leader in the current movement to create the Shawnee National Park and Climate Preserve.

This year's upcoming 34th Annual Heartwood Forest Council will be held in Southern Illinois over Memorial Day Weekend, May 22nd-25th, 2026. It will be a great opportunity to experience the magic of the Shawnee first-hand, meet up with the amazing folks that make up Heartwood, eat great food, listen to and play great music, do a little dancing, and learn what you can do to make a difference.

Learn more about the Shawnee:

• https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/03/18/on-the-shawnee-forest-money-trail/
• https://commonreader.wustl.edu/hiking-with-the-lorax-of-shawnee-national-forest/
• https://therevelator.org/shawnee-climate/
• https://greatriverslaw.org/2025/10/01/groups-sue-forest-service-over-illegal-road-plan-in-lusk-creek-wilderness/

Donate to Friends of Bell Smith Springs to cover legal expenses: https://gofund.me/15f718f6c

Register for the upcoming 34th Annual Heartwood Forest Council, May 22-25, 2026

Become a member of Heartwood: https://heartwood.org/support/individual/index.html

Intro music: "Diamond in the Sun" by Robert Hoyt, 1995. Dumpster Diving Across America.

This interview took place on March 25, 2026 with Jillian Bar-av.