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  Destinations: What is Wilderness?
Historically, wilderness was often referred to as a "wasteland" and thought of as a place where only vicious wild animals lurked. People were generally frightened of wild, untamed areas and some still are. After spending some time in the wilderness though, he/she usually realizes that this is not a place to fear but a place of wonder, beauty and enjoyment.Defenders of wilderness have often noted that humans need wildlands as examples of unhindered, healthy ecological processes. Humans have altered the landscape so drastically, and in some cases violently, that wilderness provides a necessary yardstick with which to measure the damage. The rate at which we are losing biological diversity through species extinction is difficult to measure, but most scientists agree that it is increasing at an accelerating rate.
At the same time wilderness helps us gauge our destructiveness, it also works to mitigate the damage. Diverse undeveloped areas work to filter air and water, break down waste, recycle nutrients, and generate soil. Forests all over the world act as carbon dioxide sinks, helping to balance man''s increasing release of that and other gases in to the atmosphere and thereby moderating extreme weather and climatic fluctuations. Aldo Leopold said "Wilderness is more fundamental to the human condition even than the connection between us and nature. It is the raw material of human culture and gives definition and meaning to the human enterprise. It provides the single starting-point, to which man returns again and again to organize yet another search for a durable scale of values." There exists a clear relationship for Americans between wilderness and freedom. The wild frontier symbolized freedom from the restraints and confines of civilization. Preserving wilderness indicates a conscious decision to do without some of the resources it might contain and helps to see that "going without" can indeed be an enriching experience.Wilderness also provides a medium through which people can reacquaint themselves with the wildness that is within the human soul. Our species lived much more closely to the land for most of its existence than we do now. The Wilderness Act of 1964 secures "for the American people of present and future generation the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness." The Act provides for the designation of wilderness areas, defines what wilderness is and provides direction for wilderness area management. The Act defines wilderness as:
It directs such areas to be managed:
When you visit a wilderness, think about what wilderness is to you and think about what you can and should do to help preserve the wilderness for future generations. In your camp and when you are traveling through the wilderness, think about your actions and what effects that will have on wildlife, plant life, other wilderness travelers and future generations of wilderness travelers. Hundreds of thousands of people a year visit our earth's backcountry wildernesses, and this number of people can have a significant impact on the wilderness if they do not treat it with respect. In the words of John Muir, "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves." Related Articles
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Site designed and developed by Barbara Foley.
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