“Wilderness is a loaded word. It fits nicely into the founding mythology, conjuring up a vision of a forest primeval full of formidable creatures and humans who were not civilized enough to be called anything but savages. Demonizing the landscape and its occupants helped justify their conquest and destruction, which was the first step in the creation of a new Eden.” – Jim Sterba, 22

I was really intrigued by how Sterba explained the colonists’ interpretation of wilderness. Today, we usually think of wilderness as an image of perfection and a dwindling gift that we want to cherish. However, to the founders of this nation, wilderness was scary, burdensome and in the way of development. This passage clearly shows the difference in understanding and respect for natural resources that separates the past from the present. Back then, people saw the world and its resources as limitless. Today, we understand that everything on this planet is finite and that our actions play a role in the planet’s climate. I think that this passage does a cool job of juxtaposing two different trains of thought.

I was also interested to learn that the indians would burn millions of acres of forest for many different and often insignificant reasons.