assessing definitions of wilderness
DESCRIPTION
A lesson looking at the concept of wilderness, students personal connection and understanding of it, and how it is defined in both the UK and EuropeTRANSCRIPT
“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-
civilized people are beginning to find out
going to the mountains is going home;
that wilderness is a necessity...”
― John Muir
Learning Objectives
Assess our personal perceptions and
attitudes towards wilderness environments
Analyse the varying ways wilderness
environments are defined and measured
By the end of this lesson I will…
Is this a wilderness environment?
Is this a wilderness environment?
What if this view was 10steps from the Car Park?
Is this a wilderness environment?
What if this view was 10steps from the Car Park?
What if this view was 10
days from the Car Park?
How do you think ease of accessibility
changes the character of wilderness?
Antarctica is
uninhabitable,
inhospitable
and nearly
inaccessible
Is it the last
wilderness?
What does that mean for
Deserts?
Aesthetically?
Financially?
Spiritually?
Ethically?
Recreationally?
Scottish Wilderness
42 Identified Areas
Published by Scottish Natural Heritage
Nationally significant in
Scottish planning policy
but not a statutory
designation
European
Wilderness
A Continuum
No absolute
boundaries
Would it favour
conservation or
exploitation?
Is it more accurate?
“This is the first comprehensive survey and
mapping of the remaining wilderness areas
in Europe. It will drive developing EU policy
on wilderness and influence our thinking on
areas as diverse as ecosystem services,
human health and wellbeing, climate change,
biodiversity, protected areas and the concept
of re-wilding – the return of habitats to their
natural state.”
- Dr Steve Carver, Director of the Wildland
Research Institute (WRi) at the University of Leeds
Learning Objective Reflection
Assess our personal perceptions and
attitudes towards wilderness environments
Analyse the varying ways wilderness
environments are defined and measured
By the end of this lesson I can…
Further Research
Find an example of European
re-wilding to share next week
Locations, players, scale and specific
details are all important
These slides and further support will be shared
@WhitehavenGeog
“All conservation of wildness is self-defeating,
for to cherish we must see and fondle, and
when enough have seen and fondled, there is
no wilderness left to cherish.”
― Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac