What is the Real Meaning of Wilderness?

What is the Real Meaning of Wilderness?

The Evolution of Wilderness as known to humans has had a radical turn from beginning of time to present. From what is known from the Bible to the present knowledge we have gained from the environment.

As read in the article, in the beginning, humans believed that “wilderness” was a place that we were cast into or exiled to for punishment or to be tested. It was a type of Hell for Jesus to endure temptation, and Moses to wander with his people. Wilderness was thought to be a desolate place where entry was denied.

As the word evolved, it became more of a challenge to the brave and a quest for man to show his ability to become a man. Indians were sent out to show they have grown to the age of manhood by hunting in the wilderness and coming home with a prize kill.

Time past, and frontiers made the Wilderness there home. Indians used the wilderness as there refuge from the new settlements that took their land. More and more people were happier away from the changing industrial lifestyles.

Upon the turn of each century, people saw a different light on what wilderness meant. It became a place of refuge and solidarity as opposed to deserted, savage, or desolate. It was sought out and preserved by man instead of destroying and industrializing. We came to realize that wilderness was something we needed to preserve in the good of the World.

As these changes evolved, people discovered the need to preserve the most prominent areas such as Niagara Falls, which was the first to undergo preservation, but it was soon followed by the Catskills, the Adirondacks, Yosemite, and Yellowstone. Even further on the evolution side, people discovered the need for some of these places on the Ecological side.

It wasn’t stated in the article, but forests (also known as wilderness) such as Rainforests are the species-richest ecosystems on the Earth. They cover only 5% of the Earth's surface, but contain more than half of all the plant and animal species on the planet. Many of our modern medicines come from rainforests. More than 70% of plants that have anti-cancer properties are found in rainforests. They also act as huge water pumps that balance water availability by absorbing it when it's plentiful and releasing it when it's scarce. This prevents flooding and erosion during the wet season and stops large rainforest river systems like Amazon and Congo from running out of water during the dry.

Today we see Wilderness as a place to vacation, relax, be at peace, and gaze at Gods wondrous creations. Wilderness has changed from a Hell, to a Glorious Heaven for many. The more we learn the value of wilderness to our ability to survive on this earth as a species, the more humans need to take more steps to change society’s actions against all wildernesses.

http://www.nature.org/rainforests/explore/video.html

Lucretia Biery
03/08/11