I recently visited a wetlands park at the end of Hood Canal in Washington State. I never heard anyone talk about this particular park and the images online were unimpressive, so I confess my expectations were very low. Google Maps led me to an unassuming trailhead at the bend of a poorly maintained road.
There was no grand entrance or sign marking the park. As I ventured further into the park the infrastructure appeared modest and unexceptional. However, the improvements were effective tools or devices that heightened one’s experience and connection to the natural environment. The highlight of the visit was venturing out on a quarter-mile raised walkway that hovered above the wetlands. The habitat was teeming with life, and that unassuming walkway allowed visitors to experience the wetlands in a way that otherwise would have been impossible. The image above was captured from this walkway. It was hard to leave, and my wife and I spent the next three hours driving around searching for real estate nearby.
This experience made me ponder the importance of first-hand encounters with nature and in contrast the new powerful tools that produce dramatic depictions of earth’s wilderness.
The deep ocean submersibles in BBC’s Blue Planet series allows us to access a largely unknown ecosystem with creatures we have never seen before. Spectacular 4K drone footage provides us with unique and compelling views of landscapes, various creatures and natural phenomenon. The footage captured with these tools are mesmerizing and spectacular, but do they draw us closer to the natural world? When we go for a hike or experience wilderness first hand, how can one even approximate these spectacular representations? Like touching up photos of already beautiful people or immersing ourselves in social media, do these images and tools provide a counterfeit relationship with nature? Do they act as a substitute, diminishing our real encounters? Are these images wilderness porn, ultimately driving us further away from the relationships and connections we truly seek?