Vol. 29 No. 1 (2013)
Articles

Wild Foresters: Practicing Nature’s Wisdom

Alan R. Drengson
University of Victoria
Bio
Duncan Taylor
University of Victoria
Bio

Published 2012-11-10

How to Cite

Drengson, A. R., & Taylor, D. (2012). Wild Foresters: Practicing Nature’s Wisdom. The Trumpeter, 29(1), 15–38. Retrieved from https://trumpeter.athabascau.ca/index.php/trumpet/article/view/1299

Abstract

In 1997 New Society Books published our anthology Ecoforestry: The Art and Science of Sustainable Forest Use.1 Since then, the paradigms of responsible forest use have continued to evolve. The Ecoforestry Movement found common ground in general principles of responsible forest use aiming to keep full functioning forests intact, while selectively removing trees and other material from them. It is now time for a wider and wilder effort to bring wild and tame forests within a more comprehensive vision to save and care for all forests, to restore them where removed, and to sustain cultural and biological diversity to support wild forests. Wild forests are critical to ecological resilience, flourishing cultures, and thriving communities. Wild forest places are unique and of great variety, thus the Wild Forest Movement encourages, respects, honors and supports diversity of cultures with place based wisdom and technologies, instead of a single development model. It supports moving from fossil fuel dependence into the solar age. People everywhere can contribute to solving the three global economic, warming and biodiversity crises. Wild Forests support diverse practices, cultures, worldviews, personal philosophies and lifestyles. Wild Foresters seek perennial knowledge and wisdom to be found in unique forests, places and cultures. Wild Foresting practices involve a wide range of activities and also not acting where silence and contemplation are wise.