WILD

Report from the WILD9 Strategy Forum: Transboundary Environments and Adaptation to Climate Change

Wherever political boundaries traverse ecosystems, the conservation of biodiversity and management of ecosystems is more complex and difficult. In areas with such borders, the flow of information tends to be slower, administrative regimes are more fractured, decisions are more delayed—often executed with little or no coherence—and responsibilities, masked. Furthermore, as a changing climate alters species distributions and ecosystem processes—for example, those that straddle the U.S.–Mexico and U.S.–Canada borders in North America—the inherent difficulties of transboundary conservation and management also are likely to limit the adaptability of human and natural systems to such changes. Read More

The Inner Journey

Part 5 of our wilderness journey Simplicity in all things is the secret of the wilderness and one of its most valuable lessons. It is what we leave behind that is important. I think the matter of simplicity goes further than just food, equipment, and unnecessary gadgets; it goes into the matter of thoughts and objectives as well. When in the wilds, we must not carry our problems with us or the joy is lost. ~Sigurd Olson: Wilderness Quotes Read More

SwipeGood

How much money did you spend today? Maybe you got a cup of coffee for $3.50, bought lunch for $11.34 and then picked up a new pair of shoes on the way home for $58.60. What if you could round up each of those purchases to the nearest dollar, and donate the spare change to The WILD Foundation? Well, our newest partner SwipeGood allows you to do just that: maximize your loose change for a good cause, like protecting the migration route of the elephants in Mali. And while the resulting $1.56 from today might now sound like a little, it ... Read More

The Camp

Part 3 of our wilderness journey I have to admit that I was a little nervous about 5 days of backpacking with no tent. Somehow, a tent give me a (perhaps false) sense of safety in the middle of the wilderness. But, I accepted that my trip to Africa was going to push my boundaries a bit, and so I had to chill out. No tent. Just a backpack. Water from the river. Deep breath. Our guides said “welcome home” each time we arrived at our campsite. The first night, I think this greeting surprised us. ... Read More

WILD Wednesday at Pica’s Taqueria with live bluegrass music by Moonshiner

Please join The WILD Foundation for an evening of bluegrass music and authentic Mexican food! Pica's will donate 20% of sales from 6pm until close to WILD's work for wilderness world-wide and here in Colorado. Come and enjoy delicious and fresh Mexican eats & drinks and jam to Boulder's own bluegrass/jam band MOONSHINER's acoustic set. Read More

My Journey “In the Tracks of Giants” – Art & Conservation

"Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as human nature.  There is only Nature and the very human expression of it.  To understand this is to understand the significance of what we need to do if we are to restore the lost balance.  Our task is not to go back to Nature but to give back to Nature.  How about half of our energy, our thoughts, our language and our hearts?  Nature needs it and Nature will give back," Ian McCallum, UNTAMED, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town (South Africa). When wild-nature seems far away - either physically because we have not ... Read More

My Journey “In the Tracks of Giants” – Transboundary Conservation

Animals, seeds, air and water move freely across landscapes --- only humans feel the need to define our landscapes with political boundaries.  Transboundary conservation areas, or conservation areas that span these defined political boundaries, are vitally important to ensure that nature survives and thrives.  WILD is deeply committed to connectivity and it is a core principle to the vision of Nature Needs Half. Global climate change and ever expanding human development increases the urgency for consciously connecting protected areas. The Peace Parks Foundation, based just outside of Cape Town, South Africa, is one of the leading organizations world-wide working on transboundary ... Read More

My Journey “In the Tracks of Giants” – World Heritage Designations

Today our group arrived in Cape Town and I was surprised by how large the city is! We settled into our accommodation at the Harfield Guest Villa and got set for a few days of meetings and fun. One of our longtime colleagues, Dr. Karen Ross, is joining us for several meetings and events over the next few days. Karen is undoubtably one of the world’s leading experts on the Okavango Delta in Botswana and is currently working on elevating the level of protection for the Okavango by pursuing World Heritage status. Read More

My Journey “In the Tracks of Giants” – A Journey in the Wilderness

The Zulu people have a saying that no man (or woman) crosses the same river twice – the river is always changing. Sometimes the person changes. This is the experience at the heart of every wilderness trail with The Wilderness Leadership School. I could ramble on and on about the many physical experiences we had on trail -- We saw abundant wildlife and sweeping landscapes. We slept under a wide, star-lit sky and cooked over a small but strong fire. We took turns during each night keeping watch, listening to lions, hyenas, rhinos and our other ... Read More

My Journey “In the Tracks of Giants” – Meeting Ian Player Con’t

In real time, our group has returned from our time in the Umfolozi game reserve with the Wilderness Leadership School and had a full day in Cape Town…..but, in blog-time, I am taking you back a few days. Our story will unfold as the days go-by and I will post my updates sequentially, just a few days behind. First, I will go back to elaborate on our visit with Dr. Ian Player, founder of WILD, the World Wilderness Congress and our partners in the Wilderness Network and a legendary conservationist. After gathering at the Durban airport, we drove about ... Read More