David
Rose

Prior to joining The Wilderness Society, David was the founder and principal curator for Sally Blagg, a faith-based Southern Siouan family foundation. Over the past two decades, his work has centered curating safe spaces in the urban environment for dialogue between urban indigenous families, subsistence farmers, merchants, artists, artisans, and the institutions that impact their lives.

He holds a BA in Urban and Public Policy from SUNY Buffalo and has studied historic preservation at the University of Pennsylvania; from 2011 - 2022 David studied the impact of industrial development on urban indigenous health in the first federal city-county in the United States, Philadelphia County (PA). He has spent the past several years working to ensure that urban business improvement districts (BIDs) in New York and Pennsylvania make room for indigenous agribusiness as well as local artists and artisans; his advocacy work, even now, is in linking the 'urban green' to the wilderness through biophilic streetscape design and historic preservation efforts.

David’s work is inside of the Saura matrilineal tradition. He works to preserve cultural landscapes on his ancestral lands in the Sauratown Mountains; he is a small farmer, father, art collector, equestrian enthusiast, map maker and landscape designer. David brings a deep passion for indigenous urban dwellers overcoming fears and engaging in the healing qualities of the wilderness. He lives on a small homestead in the Yadkin River Valley.