I am so delighted that you have chosen this particular theme for March, as "wilderness / rewilding" has also been on my mind for some time now and I am still thinking about it a lot. (I've also started to write a post about it, but it's not finished yet, so I think I'll put the text on hold for now and come back to it later.) Looking forward to your insights, experiences and reads - as always! :)
Many thanks for sharing. I lived/worked in the forests of Congo for a few years when I was younger, and for me it was all about knowing that you were many miles away from the nearest person. Miles and miles of forest between you and the next human being.
That's awesome, there must have been so much to explore there! For me, being away from humans is definitely a large part of it too. That can be hard to find in many areas of Europe, but going out into the forest or mountains in bad weather helps, ha ha!
Excited for this month! The moorland thing is something I've thought a lot about having grown up near moors - they were always the epitome of 'wild' to me and I'm still a bit heartbroken to know now that's not the case. I fully support rewinding but find the idea of losing moorland landscapes challenging on a personal level. Curious to see what you explore and read :)
When I learned about the history of the moorlands I definitely empathised with the people who grew up there. I mean, it made me a bit disappointed when I learned that the "wild" forests around me are very much managed and commercially used, but at least they are still forests! In the case of the moorlands the "natural" ecosystem is something so totally different that I imagine it's quite a shock.
Yes, I think it's totally valid to want to keep moorland landscapes... All over the world there are landscapes modified by humans that are valued by humans and that have their own biodiversity - just because they aren't "natural" or "wild" in a narrow sense doesn't mean they have no value. The idea of rewilding definitely resonates with me, but I don't think the goal can be to rewild all ecosystems, as then we lose cultural heritage & biodiversity. In the end we probably need a mosaic of different landscape with varying degrees of human modification. I think many conservationists & approaches to conservation actually have that perspective.
Oh and of course, swimming in the sea. Particularly if I'm swimming at my favourite beach cove, either alone or with very few people.
I grew up by the North Sea which was always brown and murky looking. Here on the South Coast, when the sun is shining it's the most wonderful tones of blues, crystal clear, and utterly delightful.
Aaah, now I want to be there, haha! I visited the south coast of the UK once and was so surprised by how stunning the seaside is. And I guess when you live there you know the places that aren't too crowded!
Great post! I love walking barefoot when it's warm enough.
I live on a tied island. I love the wilder areas of the island, where nothing can ever be built due to the terrain. There are a couple of footpaths but most of it is inaccessible. A safe place for wildlife. A risk of being bitten by an added as the paths get overgrown in summer.
Being out in wild weather - strong winds, stormy waves, walking in the rain.
One of my favorite ways to rewild myself is to take a cold bath in the creek that runs at the back of our property here in the mountains. The first time local villagers heard about it they were surprised that I was still alive and didn't get sick from it, and these are people who have lived here (in one place) for their entire lives! The irony I see - as an outsider- is that even people who are "connected" to the land and to nature, are very often distanced from it at the same time. When I stop and think what it means to be wild, my mind automatically asks the question - what did people feel a hundred years ago, or more? Did they feel hunger? Did they experience temperatures so cold that their hair turned into icicles? How could they have survived if a life lived close to nature was really that bad? Thank you for this article, it's a wonderful thing to think about and it's been on my mind a lot lately ♥
Oooh, that sounds great that you have a cold mountain creek nearby! Cold water is really one of the best things to make you feel wild & alive, to my mind. Totally agree about thinking about how people used to live. We probably almost automatically get closer to nature if we try to live a bit more like people did in the past (at least those not in the middle of a city)!
Thanks for your thoughts!! Since I learned about the moorland landscapes I have always wondered how people feel about them who live in the UK long term or grew up there. It's great that you still / again appreciate aspects of the landscape - the beauty isn't suddenly gone just because humans shaped the place... I am reading "Feral" by George Monbiot and he is very negative about such landscapes. I get the argument, but I also think it's a bit sad to lose all connection to your local place and to stop appreciating the creatures that do live there (including the sheep - it's not really their fault after all!). To my mind the biodiversity in modified landscapes does have a value - as you say, there are species that benefit, and I think each individual is valuable independent of whether it would be there "naturally" or not! (And slow worms are amazing, I love how glossy they are.)
Looking forward to the summer for camping and swimming now!
I am so delighted that you have chosen this particular theme for March, as "wilderness / rewilding" has also been on my mind for some time now and I am still thinking about it a lot. (I've also started to write a post about it, but it's not finished yet, so I think I'll put the text on hold for now and come back to it later.) Looking forward to your insights, experiences and reads - as always! :)
Thanks!!
Many thanks for sharing. I lived/worked in the forests of Congo for a few years when I was younger, and for me it was all about knowing that you were many miles away from the nearest person. Miles and miles of forest between you and the next human being.
That's awesome, there must have been so much to explore there! For me, being away from humans is definitely a large part of it too. That can be hard to find in many areas of Europe, but going out into the forest or mountains in bad weather helps, ha ha!
Excited for this month! The moorland thing is something I've thought a lot about having grown up near moors - they were always the epitome of 'wild' to me and I'm still a bit heartbroken to know now that's not the case. I fully support rewinding but find the idea of losing moorland landscapes challenging on a personal level. Curious to see what you explore and read :)
When I learned about the history of the moorlands I definitely empathised with the people who grew up there. I mean, it made me a bit disappointed when I learned that the "wild" forests around me are very much managed and commercially used, but at least they are still forests! In the case of the moorlands the "natural" ecosystem is something so totally different that I imagine it's quite a shock.
Yes, I think it's totally valid to want to keep moorland landscapes... All over the world there are landscapes modified by humans that are valued by humans and that have their own biodiversity - just because they aren't "natural" or "wild" in a narrow sense doesn't mean they have no value. The idea of rewilding definitely resonates with me, but I don't think the goal can be to rewild all ecosystems, as then we lose cultural heritage & biodiversity. In the end we probably need a mosaic of different landscape with varying degrees of human modification. I think many conservationists & approaches to conservation actually have that perspective.
Oh and of course, swimming in the sea. Particularly if I'm swimming at my favourite beach cove, either alone or with very few people.
I grew up by the North Sea which was always brown and murky looking. Here on the South Coast, when the sun is shining it's the most wonderful tones of blues, crystal clear, and utterly delightful.
Aaah, now I want to be there, haha! I visited the south coast of the UK once and was so surprised by how stunning the seaside is. And I guess when you live there you know the places that aren't too crowded!
Great post! I love walking barefoot when it's warm enough.
I live on a tied island. I love the wilder areas of the island, where nothing can ever be built due to the terrain. There are a couple of footpaths but most of it is inaccessible. A safe place for wildlife. A risk of being bitten by an added as the paths get overgrown in summer.
Being out in wild weather - strong winds, stormy waves, walking in the rain.
Thanks for your comment :) Yes, I am happy it's getting warmer - today was actually the first day I walked barefoot for more than 1-2min!
That sounds so beautiful, and I can see how the snakes add to the feeling of wilderness...
What a great theme! I'm looking forward to hearing about your experiences (and your reading list!) this month!
One of my favorite ways to rewild myself is to take a cold bath in the creek that runs at the back of our property here in the mountains. The first time local villagers heard about it they were surprised that I was still alive and didn't get sick from it, and these are people who have lived here (in one place) for their entire lives! The irony I see - as an outsider- is that even people who are "connected" to the land and to nature, are very often distanced from it at the same time. When I stop and think what it means to be wild, my mind automatically asks the question - what did people feel a hundred years ago, or more? Did they feel hunger? Did they experience temperatures so cold that their hair turned into icicles? How could they have survived if a life lived close to nature was really that bad? Thank you for this article, it's a wonderful thing to think about and it's been on my mind a lot lately ♥
Oooh, that sounds great that you have a cold mountain creek nearby! Cold water is really one of the best things to make you feel wild & alive, to my mind. Totally agree about thinking about how people used to live. We probably almost automatically get closer to nature if we try to live a bit more like people did in the past (at least those not in the middle of a city)!
Thanks for your thoughts!! Since I learned about the moorland landscapes I have always wondered how people feel about them who live in the UK long term or grew up there. It's great that you still / again appreciate aspects of the landscape - the beauty isn't suddenly gone just because humans shaped the place... I am reading "Feral" by George Monbiot and he is very negative about such landscapes. I get the argument, but I also think it's a bit sad to lose all connection to your local place and to stop appreciating the creatures that do live there (including the sheep - it's not really their fault after all!). To my mind the biodiversity in modified landscapes does have a value - as you say, there are species that benefit, and I think each individual is valuable independent of whether it would be there "naturally" or not! (And slow worms are amazing, I love how glossy they are.)
Looking forward to the summer for camping and swimming now!