Protecting the Unpredictable Wild

To me, nature and the “non-human” world represents a part of the earth that is unpredictable and untamable. While I certainly appreciate this part of the wild and think that it is both important and worth protecting, I have never been the type of person who seeks it out. On camping trips, I am the person who checks and double checks to make sure that there is not anything that might even smell like food laying out that could attract bears. The most thrilling experience I’ve ever had in nature, easily, was the time that I climbed Longs Peak. I was 15 and had never climbed any mountain before when my slightly more adventurous cross country teammates announced a team trip to climb a “14er.” I had no idea what I was in for with Longs Peak (which is probably a good thing because I most likely would have backed out had I known). The all day hike/ climb was both exhausting and exciting. The view at the top of the mountain was stunning and certainly made the trip worthwhile (although I was not a fan of having to race back down in order to beat the thunderstorms and lightning).
In terms of the second part of the discussion question which asks why it is important to preserve nature, there are several reasons which vary from ideological purposes to general earth-preservation. One argument is that the aesthetic and spiritual value of wilderness should be reason enough to seek to protect nature. I certainly agree with this perspective and believe it even more now that I live in a city. Growing up in Colorado, nature was everywhere. I really did not think twice about the fact that if I wanted to climb a mountain (which by the way, I have not been brave enough to do since my last experience), go camping or even just spend an afternoon at the lake, I could easily pack up and do just that. Living here, however, the park area that surrounds the monuments is really the closest thing to nature that I can access which quite honestly, does not count as wilderness. Another reason to preserve natural land is for general human health. Construction and environmental destruction lead to excessive amounts of air and water pollution which the earth can not absorb. Also, some make the argument that we have a responsibility to the planet and the creatures which inhabit it to protect natural resources and wildlife. This is definitely not an exhaustive list of the reasons to protect the environment however they are the ones which strike me, personally, as the most persuasive.