Maps: A great way to understand the world

Mapping according to ecological features instead of political divides clearly makes sense from a conservation point of view (but of course also politically more difficult). This article on Transborder parks should on Encyclopaedia of Earth (a trusted wiki) should be of interest if you're not familiar with the concept.

National Geographic has, amongst their many useful tools, an interesting resource for understanding ecoregions:
Wilderness.net, an American combined-effort website maintained by the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center, Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute and The University of Montana Wilderness Institute has a useful map of North American Wilderness areas:

"From swamps of the Southeast to tundra in Alaska, from snowcapped peaks in the Rocky Mountains to hardwood forests in the Northeast and deserts in the Southwest, Wilderness areas are found in all but six states (Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Rhode Island)." -- Explore the map here / See full list of areas here.

Wild International works on a number of ecosystem-wide initiatives including the effort to save the Desert Elephants in West Africa. They have a great map showing the Human Footprint around the area where the elephants live.

If you have useful map tips, leave a comment below or get in touch.

Walk the Talk...

The Wilderness Foundation supports the work of the Centre for Human Ecology - we thought this new initiative might be of interest:

"CHE and Openground take the sustainability message into the wilds - A new training course gets people out of the seminar room and into the mountains to explore sustainability and social justice. 'Walk the Talk' is a journey into Scotland's wild places where participants will be inspired by the natural world and will develop practical strategies for organisational change. Designed to support organisational learning in businesses, public agencies and more-than-profit organisations, Walk the Talk is a collaboration between Sam Harrison of Openground and Osbert Lancaster of the Centre for Human Ecology. Sam is a human ecologist and outdoor educator experienced in the transformative power of wild places. Sam explains "The power of Walk the Talk is way beyond a simple outdoor team building exercise. We leave behind dry facts and prophesies of doom that are so often the staple of the training room. Actively experiencing the natural environment inspires new thinking about our relationship with the ecosystems on which we - and our organisations - all depend." Osbert is the executive director of the Centre for Human Ecology. "If sustainability is already part of your organisation's strategy, Walk the Talk will take you to the next level," explains Osbert, "and if you're just starting to explore the issues it will start you on your journey with a clear view of the landscape and the tools to starting mapping the route ahead."Walk the Talk is currently in development, with pilot courses planned from April 2007."
- Further information is available on the CHE website here.

The Wilderness Foundation knows from direct experience how powerful learning in a wild setting can be - the Wilderness Leadership School in South Africa has over the years run a host of Opinion Leader Trails, including a programme for tailor made for South African MPs.
- Read Andrew Muir's '99 article on this in the International Journal of Wilderness.

Arts & Ecology at the RSA

Just in from our friends at the RSA Library - an item that may be of interest...

"The RSA Arts & Ecology project , a programme supporting the work of the arts in examining and addressing environmental concerns in an international arena, is holding a conference in December 2006 entitled "No way back". Providing different perspectives on ecological issues from major thinkers of our time, and timed to coincide with the new project publication Land, art: a cultural ecology handbook." - Full story here...

Click here to access previous RSA related postings from the Wilderness Foundation.