International Journal of Wilderness

Persons interested in outdoor medicine are often very much interested in the wilderness, so let me take this opportunity to make you aware of the International Journal of Wilderness, which is published by the WILD Foundation of Boulder, Colorado, USA. The Editor-in-Chief is John C. Hendee, Professor Emeritus of the University of Idaho Wilderness Research Center.

The stated mission of the journal is to link wilderness professionals, scientists, educators, environmentalists, and interested citizens worldwide with a forum for reporting and discussing wilderness ideas and events; inspirational ideas; planning, management, and allocation strategies; education; and research and policy aspects of wilderness stewardship. The journal is published three times a year.

The August 2007 issue is indicative of the depth and breadth of the content. I was particularly drawn to an article entitled "Wilderness and the Human Soul," contributed by Ian Player of South Africa. This extraordinary man founded the multi-racial Wilderness Leadership School during the apartheid era, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. In his remarks, Mr. Player points out the spiritual nature of wilderness, and its importance for the emotional fabric of a country, indeed, for civilization: "This is our task in the 21st century. We need something that will stir our psychic depths and touch the images of the soul. It has to surpass creeds and instantly be recognized. We must learn a new language to convey the feelings of beauty, hope, inspiration, and sacredness for humanity and all other life. We need to remember the first principle of ecology: that 'everything is connected to everything else,' and the wilderness experience is the spiritual spark that ignites the understanding."

Subscription inquiries for the journal can be directed to WILD Foundation, P.O. Box 1380, Ojai, CA 93024, USA. Telephone: (315) 640-0390. Fax: (805) 640-0230. E-mail: info@wild.org

Tags: International Journal of Wilderness, wilderness, WILD Foundation, wilderness medicine, outdoor medicine, healthline

Labels: International Journal of Wilderness, WILD Foundation, wilderness

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