Latest Wilderness Stories

Conservationists have long known that lines on a map are not sufficient to protect nature because what happens outside those boundaries can affect what happens within. Now, a study by two University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists in the department of forest and wildlife ecology measures the threat of housing development around protected areas in the United States.In a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Volker Radeloff, an associate...

The growth of housing near national parks, national forests and wilderness areas within the United States may limit the conservation value that these protected areas were designed to create in the first place, a new study has found.The researchers determined that housing development reduces the potential of these protected areas to serve as a modern-day "Noah's Ark," interrupting potential travel corridors for some animals, and altering habitat for others.Results of the study are being...

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- T. Marzetti Company is pleased to announce that it has received The John Muir Business Conservation Award for 2009. The annual award presented by The John Muir Association acknowledges individuals, groups or organizations for their restoration, protection and conservation efforts. "T. Marzetti Company is very honored to receive this prestigious award," said President Bruce Rosa. "Our supply chain initiatives to reduce energy consumption and green...

WILLISTON PARK, N.Y., Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Richard Marston, an innocent with psychological problems, comes to live in New York City with a relative following his mother's death, and then meets violent conflict with this urban environment -- threatening and predatory. This is "The Wilderness Singers" (published by iUniverse), one of a collection of stories and a short novel by John Zepf. "The Wilderness Singers" writings are emotionally nuanced and quite moving, at other times unusually...

JACKSON, Wyo., Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Wilderness Ventures, the oldest and most experienced adventure travel program for young people, recently announced their 2010 lineup of unique Leadership Adventures, International Adventures and Community Service Adventures for teenagers. These life-altering teen wilderness adventures, set in some of the world's most magnificent outdoor spaces, are crafted for young adults who are just beginning their experiences in the outdoors or teenagers who are...

The PBS documentary The National Parks: America's Best Idea highlights various U.S. national parks as well as naturalist John Muir, the director says. Director Ken Burns said while making his six-part documentary about the country's national parks, he became enamored with the writings of Muir, who is credited as a pioneer in the preservation of the U.S. wilderness, the Bay Area News Group said Saturday. It's such a great thing to be hit over the head when you're working on a film, Burns...

For those who think of nature as a wild, unspoiled Eden that preserves the natural flora and fauna free from human interference, global warming has a nasty surprise in store, according to University of California, Berkeley, biologist Anthony Barnosky.In his new book, "Heatstroke: Nature in an Age of Global Warming" (Island Press, 2009), Barnosky says that because of climate change, wilderness left to its own will no longer look like the natural areas we see today. Our conservation...

President Barack Obama signed a massive conservation package into law on Monday.The package of almost 170 bills commits the US to sweeping changes in land and water conservation efforts. The House of Representatives approved the measure on a vote of 285-140 just a week after being passed by the Senate. The package contains measures to expand the US National Wilderness Preservation System and federally protect wilderness lands in California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,...

Congress on Wednesday approved a package of nearly 170 bills that is being touted as one of the most important land and water conservation decisions in US history. The House of Representatives approved the measure on a vote of 285-140 just a week after being passed by the Senate. The package contains measures to expand the US National Wilderness Preservation System and federally protect wilderness lands in California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and West...

With a vote of 73-21, the members of the US Senate on Thursday voted to approve what is expected to be the first of many aggressive conservation measures that will be signed into law by President-elect Barack Obama. The measure, which contains more than 160 bills, will be sent to the House of Representatives, where it is expected to be approved. The bill provides protections for the largest expansion of National Wilderness Preservation System in 15 years, designating 2.1 million acres of...