Exposure to diverse microbes boosts our immunity, while spending time in nature restores wellbeing. And COVID reminds us of the risks of new viruses when we intrude on and degrade natural habitats.
Anson Brothers Studio, Fern Tree Gully, Hobart Town, Tasmania, 1887. Albumen print.
Collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
During COVID, many therapists took their sessions online. But others went outside with their clients, taking a leisurely stroll through a near-by park.
In September, 2019 a 50-year-old hiker was rescued by helicopter from Tasmania’s popular Overland Track after suffering heart problems.
AAP Image/Tasmania Police
In 2019, 44 bushwalkers had to be rescued in Tasmania. New research identified who tends to take the most risks, and how to be better prepared for your next hike.
Cheetahs in the Serengeti in Tanzania.
A J Plumptre
Jan. 11 marks the birthday of conservationist Aldo Leopold (1887-1948), who called for thinking about land as a living community to protect, not a resource to exploit.
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness draws thousands of visitors yearly.
Andy Witchger/Flickr
Conservation or copper? A proposed mine in northern Minnesota pits industrial jobs against a thriving outdoor economy.
John James Audubon relied on African Americans and Native Americans to collect some specimens for his ‘Birds of America’ prints (shown: Florida cormorant), but never credited them.
National Audubon Society
US ideas about conservation center on walling off land from use. That approach often means expelling Indigenous and other poor people who may be its most effective caretakers.
Protecting the continent’s remaining pristine wilderness areas is urgent, but achievable.
The world’s remaining wilderness. Dark blue = terrestrial. Light blue = marine.
Modified with permission from Protect the last of the wild, Watson et al, Nature (2018)
More than two-thirds of Earth’s remaining wilderness is in the hands of just five countries, according to a new global map. A concerted conservation effort is needed to save our last wild places.
The world has some 500 million square kilometres of ocean. But just 55 million square kilometres remain untouched by intensive human activities such as fishing.
Hiking the Savage River Loop in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska.
Lian Law/NPS
Many studies have shown that time outdoors is good for our physical health. Three wilderness education experts explain why periods alone in nature also provide mental and spiritual benefits.
Pause and reflect on what really makes wilderness valuable.
John O'Neill/Wikimedia Commons
Imagine being one of the last few people alive. Would that make it ok to destroy the natural world? This thought experiment reveals the true value of nature, beyond the benefits to humans.