This feature was first published in the 2009 Wilderness Magazine. To receive the annual magazine and quarterly newsletters from The Wilderness Society, become a member today!
Writer David S. Wilcove is a professor of ecology, evolutionary biology, and public affairs at Princeton University and the author of No Way Home: The Decline of the World’s Great Animal Migrations.
This feature was first published in the 2009 Wilderness Magazine. To receive the annual magazine and quarterly newsletters from The Wilderness Society, become a member today!
This article linking public lands, wildlife and climate change was written by Doreen Cubie of Awendaw, South Carolina, who also writes for National Wildlife and Audubon.
If you’ve been following the climate debate, you’ve probably heard these terms ad nauseum. Yet another phrase that is critical to the health of our families, economy and culture slips by too often: natural resources adaptation.
For me, wildlife perfectly embodies the wonder, whimsy, and charisma of wild places. To encounter a wild animal in a wild place pulls me quickly and deeply into the natural world — a world I notice because of the presence of another live creature in the midst. I’ve looked into the deep, brown, understanding eyes of a mountain gorilla, seen pronghorns spring through sagebrush, and been entertained by hooded merganser ducks and their precise courtship displays. Each time, I feel privileged to be a part of their same world.
Bambi, Yogi Bear, Woody Woodpecker — they should matter, too. These characters may be fictional but their real-life counterparts are often what we think of when our minds drift to the woods. They’re also what we hope to see when we actually venture out to our forests. Even spotting a baby deer alongside a city bike trail is a thrill, let alone watching a brown bear scoop up a salmony snack in Alaska.
Just six months into Obama’s presidency, we’re already beginning to see just how much we can get done with an administration that values strong scientific evidence. Last week, after years of foot-dragging by the Bush Administration, the White House released a landmark multi-agency government report on the effects of climate change on the U.S. Just a day later, a scientific report from the U.S.
Alaska is ground zero for global warming. Temperatures here are rising faster than anywhere else in the world, and the kinds of things scientists have been warning about for years — hotter and drier summers, more wild fires, insect outbreaks, and unusual weather patterns — are already posing some unprecedented threats for the state’s natural resources.
Peg Reagan, former Curry County commissioner, smiles as she talks about her daily commute. It’s not everyone who gets to drive, or walk, depending on the day, through Oregon’s western forests on their way to work. These tranquil forests full of towering trees are truly special — and necessary, not only for humans, but for the pileated woodpeckers, cougars, bear, elk and other species who depend on these lands for habitat.
With gas prices creeping higher and the economy at a low ebb, planning a summer vacation close to home is on the minds of many American families. Luckily, if your idea of a great getaway is to experience the best of our nation’s treasured wild lands, the National Wildlife Refuge System will allow you to stay close to home.
