On October 24, the Onassis Foundation published an #iSTANDfor article by Dr. Luke Hunter. In it, Dr. Hunter explains the importance of wild places. He highlights how animals like big cats need these spaces to survive, and how we humans rely on them as well. This is a timely piece, because a recent study found that wild places are quickly disappearing (Watson et al. 2016). Reading Dr. Hunter’s article also led me to reflect on what wild places mean to me.
First of all, let me be clear that when I say “wild places,” I am not referring to wildernesses devoid of people. The notion of virgin wilderness is problematic for several reasons: not least because some modern “wildernesses” were created by the forced relocation of indigenous peoples (Cronon, 1997). Rather, when I speak of wild places I am referring to landscapes with thriving ecosystems. Humans may use them, and indeed many people depend on them for survival. But wild places have not been subject to the sorts of wholesale degradation that accompanies large-scale industrial development (Watson et al., 2016). If they have, then they have been allowed to recover.
As Dr. Hunter points out, wild places are crucial for big cats. It is in these areas where most large herbivores can flourish, thereby providing sustenance for apex predators. Wild places can also serve as “source” populations: locations where enough young can be raised to help compensate for the high levels of mortality that often befall big cats in human-dominated landscapes. But for me, wild places have personal significance as well.
I have spent most of my life in urban and suburban areas. While I do not regret my time there, I have always been drawn to less built environments. As a child this largely meant metro parks, which played a significant role in my development. But there were a few times in which I have been able to visit larger wild places, and they left an indelible mark on me.
The first of these instances was a week spent at a fishing camp in the Canadian province of Quebec. Its name was 3 Seasons’ Camp (Camp 3 Saisons), and it remains the most beautiful place I have ever been. There were no roads leading to the camp; requiring my friends and I to take a long boat ride through Lake Kipawa. But it was well worth it. Never before had I felt more alive, and I will always be grateful to my friends for taking me there.
Another trip Dr. Hunter’s article made me think about was the time I hiked on Mount Rainier. It was only one day, but it was incredible. It was my first time on a mountain of that size, and the views blew me away. I was overwhelmed by the splendor of my surroundings, and felt nearly euphoric.
Approximately two months after my brief spell on Mount Rainier, I was able to return to the mountains of Washington. This time I spent five days at a retreat center in the Cascades called Holden Village. Instead of being on a single mountain, I was surrounded by snow-covered peaks. Watching the fog role back each morning to reveal the massive rock face in front of me (see the featured image); exploring the thriving forest; and hiking above the tree line were highlights of my time there. It was a dream come true.
My life has been enriched by the experiences I have had in wild places. The three instances I have described introduced me to true joy, and left me thirsting for more. Now I frequently find myself yearning to return to wild places, in order to rediscover the freedom I have found there. It is my sincerest hope that everyone; regardless of race, gender, income, or any other such factor will be able to experience the wonder of wild places. It is equally important to me that those human communities who rely on wild places will continue to be able to do so, and that their rights will be legally recognized (and that such agreements will be honored).
However, neither of these dreams will come true if wild places cease to exist. Therefore I urge you to join Dr. Hunter and I in standing for wild places.
Further Reading:
Hunter, L. (2016). #iSTANDfor: Wild places. Retrieved from http://www.istandfor.net/istandfor-wild-places.
The Jaguar 
Beautiful blog. Wild places don’t have to be untouched wildernesses, but the places that hold a special place in our heart. But we do need to keep wild places wild.
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Very true. Wild places need to be wild in the sense that they should not be dominated by human activity. But we also need to be careful to honor the rights of the people who most directly depend on wild places, especially indigenous peoples. The conservation movement needs to be as inclusive as possible.
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Couldn’t agree with you more, in fact I painted a series of paintings focusing on just this issue!
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Wonderful! Are the paintings on your blog? I’d love to see them.
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They’re featured here: https://cjwaterfieldart.wordpress.com/2014/04/01/yes-people-can-be-endangered-too/ here: https://cjwaterfieldart.wordpress.com/2014/06/21/featured-painting-the-maternal-planet/ here: https://cjwaterfieldart.wordpress.com/2015/04/25/vanishing-lives/ and here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/cjwaterfieldart/photos/?tab=album&album_id=657305514336380
Sorry for all the links! :)
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Thanks for the links, Chloe! All of the paintings were good, but I especially The Maternal Planet. I enjoyed learning about the Nenets’ relationship with reindeer.
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Thank you, I’d say that one is my favourite of the series!
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Yep! I also like how the girl’s embracing of the mother reindeer reflects our kinship with, and dependence on, non-human animals.
All this talk about art makes me want to revisit the art museum in my home town! I’ve never been much good at visual art, but I always found it mind-boggling to see just how talented people are. There’s lots of symbolic, historical, and sociological information that can be communicated through art too.
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Beautiful post and pictures! Mt. Rainier looks spectacular!!☺
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My Rainier is incredible! It’s not as big as the mountains you have in northern India, but it’s the tallest mountain I’ve ever been on. I loved it!
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I haven’t spent time in the wild, per se’ but, I’ve spent time in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia and there is an awesome presence about Nature. I can imagine the same experience in the wild. I’m sure it’s like to the feeling of being at peace and in union with nature. The thought of nature lacking human manipulation or disturbance is probably the closest to divine nature as possible.
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The feeling of being at peace and in union with nature is definitely present in wild places; at least for me. It feels like I belong there, if that makes any sense.
And I would highlight that for me wild places aren’t those locations that lack human disturbance or manipulation, but where the negative impacts of those activities are minimal. I’m not a religious person, but one could easily feel the presence of the divine in wild places. I want to be clear, however, that current human residents of those areas don’t need to be removed in order to accomplish that. I try to be explicit about that last point, because of past injustices that have been committed in order to establish “pristine” wildernesses.
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Found this post now and my comment is probably three years too late :D. But better late than never, right? :D .
I have experienced something similar. I went on a holiday to Manali in Himachal Pradesh a few years ago and was climbing this mountain located in the Kullu valley, just across from the Beas river. At the top was a famous temple called Bijli Mahadev.
The climb was so gruelling. 4 hours of steep mountain climbing. But the vista was absolutely breathtaking. Sheer cliff drops on one side and towering trees on the other. The sunlight and the breeze gently caressing us through the treetops. Tiny birds playing hide and seek with us from behind the branches….
After about an hour & a half, we began feeling the strain of the climb. It’s one of those moments where you’re frustrated whether the climb will end or not…but the sublime surroundings don’t allow you to get too mad. They’re just too beautiful to ignore…too brilliant to waste time feeling sorry for yourself having to climb up a massive mountain. :D .
But by the end of the climb when we finally summited, we were greeted by this beautiful field of soft green grass and the most vibrant flowers. At the far end of the field was this tiny temple made of stone (probably hundreds of years old).
As we finished the puja, we were told to have a sip of water from the stream on top of the mountain. I swear to you, that was the best water I’ve ever tasted in all my life. I can still remember the crisp, cool taste. And I’m 99% sure the water didn’t taste so good to me because of the super-hard climb I’d just completed. :D
This was one of those experiences where at the end, I felt so humbled by my surroundings and so proud for having had the privilege of being born in this beautiful world, in this beautiful country. I’ve had a few similar experiences in Sikkim and Karnataka too. Its one of the reasons why I love writing about nature, wildlife and the earth.
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Thanks for that beautiful comment, Nisha! There really is a lot left to cherish in this world, despite everything that’s going wrong. Hopefully future generations will have even more opportunities will have even more to cherish than we do :)
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