Can We Make Wilderness More Welcoming?
Photo by Kimm Fox-Middleton. Hiking in the Oregon’s Mt. Hood Wilderness.
Summary
Former Wildlands Communications Director Lisa Ronald led a committee of individuals from systemically excluded groups to publish a peer-reviewed assessment of barriers to inclusion in wilderness communications. Understanding different interpretations of wilderness can help broaden traditional narratives to respectfully include diverse experiences. .
Abstract
Perspectives about and values for wilderness vary greatly among people who are underrepresented in wilderness recreation and management. Understanding divergent interpretations of wilderness can better equip communicators to evaluate how well communications strategies resonate with audiences, including potential and current wilderness visitors, employees, and partners. A committee of individuals from systemically excluded groups conducted a reflective assessment of wilderness attributes and norms and how they are communicated, revealing potential inclusivity barriers to wilderness under four themes: Wilderness History and Culture, Fundamental Wilderness Qualities, Gender Assumptions, and Access to Wilderness. This reflective assessment can also help communicators broaden and reenvision traditional narratives about wilderness history, culture, and values to respectfully include diverse stories, varied experiences, and relationships between wilderness, other social forces, and historical events.
Citation
Ronald, L. et al. Can we make wilderness more welcoming? An assessment of barriers to inclusion. International Journal of Wilderness 29.1, (2023).