In fall of 2025, the public policy officer at the Mojave Desert Land Trust in Joshua Tree, Calif. invited veteran and local community member Barry Scanlan to join them in Washington, D.C. to help advocate for the Land and Water Conservation Fund—a critical source of public lands funding that was facing potential cuts.
As Barry readily admits, “I’m not a policy guy.” But the staff of the Land Trust knew that Barry was valuable to them achieving their advocacy goals, because he had lived experience as a veteran—as well as a passion for the desert that spans more than five decades.
“The land that helped prepare me to defend our country is now what I work to protect.” — Barry Scanlan
In 2023, Barry and his wife Tami Spry moved from Minnesota to Yucca Valley, Calif. in the Mojave Desert and, coincidentally, just down the road from 29 Palms, the Marine Corps based where Barry was stationed as a teenager in 1972.
Never having seen a desert before, Barry urged his fellow young Marines to join him on hikes to explore the wildlife and terrain. “We were young men…and we all left with something positive about that place.”
Returning to the desert decades later sparked something powerful in him and he began volunteering with Mil-Tree Veteran Advocacy, an organization that works to involve veterans in environmental stewardship—as well as helping them experience the restorative power of being in nature.
We spoke to Barry about his preparation to share his personal stories and what the Washington advocacy experience was like for him. He provided us a great example of the importance of focusing stories (especially when you only have a few minutes!) and how an authentically shared personal story can spark interest and empathy.
Watch our six-minute feature on Barry’s advocacy here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2VAGzBrfkQ&t=25s