Evolving values of wilderness in the Age of Extinction

Abstract

<p>In the epoch of the Anthropocene, faced as we are by unprecedented global environmental change, the word 'wilderness' can no longer be used without an interrogation of all that it implies. This chapter investigates the notion of wilderness through an environmental humanities lens, querying whether notions of wilderness are still relevant, and how this might influence and inform environmental campaigning in Australia, and beyond. This chapter interrogates the concept of wilderness within the context of forestry and community action in the north-eastern New South Wales region, which has been an exemplar of shifting and changing understandings of wilderness. These experiences illustrate that striving for environmental values has the potential to connect individuals to each other through shared experience, building community in the face of a perceived threat. We argue that defining and redefining wilderness values is necessary for each new generation, and consider how rights to protest and rights for nature might inform a common and shared understanding of wilderness values. As the Age of Extinction is declared and humanity faces the reality that no part of the globe has been left untouched by human influence, we ask: what does the wilderness in the Age of Extinction look like?</p>