Mick Dodge

I’ve been watching The History Channel a little more lately because of this class. It really doesn’t show a lot of history material, but there are some great shows. One show, called “The Legend of Mick Dodge”, brings you into the life of a man living entirely off the land. His survival reminds me of when we talked about how the wilderness was an escape from the city and society in the old days. Mick is a loose-cannon who does what he desires, as long as it benefits himself in the long run. As crazy as they make him seem in the show, he actually seems very intelligent. He does not need things that we take for granted, such as running water or clean clothes. By trading with other people and learning more about his environment, he is able to live in the wilderness with very little problems. This is very interesting to me. As I said before, I’ve lived in the city my entire life, so seeing a man survive the way Mick Dodge does is absolutely astounding. I think I may continue to watch this show, and you should give it a try too.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/the-legend-of-mick-dodge/

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My Wilderness Homework

For one of our assignments, we were asked to travel to the wilderness and write about our experience. I’ve lived in the heart of Boston my entire life, and this assignment made me realize there is really no wilderness near me. I have never thought about how wilderness can affect my life because it has never been in my life. My time at UNH has actually opened my mind to nature and wilderness. Not only does the class help me understand how important our environment is, but being in New Hampshire gives me more time to interact with it. College Woods is one of the most peaceful places I have visited. We don’t get things like this in Boston; places like Boston Common are considered a getaway from the city, and that park is located in the center of town. Maybe it is time I learn more about how wilderness and nature can benefit my life and the life of the people that surround me.

Going to Yellowstone

When I was younger (probably 10 or 11), my parents sent me on a science camp trip called Earth Explore. We traveled from Boston to Salt Lake City, Utah, and drove up to Yellowstone National Park. I honestly don’t remember much, but one thing I will always remember was Old Faithful. The geyser shot up like a cannon, spraying through the air like a cannonball hitting the ocean. It was such a beautiful sight, and so many people came from all over the world just to see that one moment. One moment was all it took for people to spend thousands of dollars. It’s things like this that really bring meaning to nature and wilderness. If Congress had given up Yellowstone to settlers, this beautiful work of nature might not be there anymore. There could be buildings, or dams, or factories throughout Yellowstone that would prevent us from seeing why national parks are so important to humans and animals. But to this day Yellowstone remains one of the greatest pieces of the world, and for that, we thank you Congress.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tShhZvvIM84

http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm

The “Wilderness” Resort

I was going through the Blackboard page for my RMP class earlier this weekend, and I realized that I don’t really have an exact definition for “wilderness.” So, being the bright college student I am, I googled “wilderness.” I came across an interesting page. It was a dictionary site, or wikipedia. It was a resort, called “The Wilderness Resort”. A 600 acre waterpark resort located in Wisconsin Dells, the resort has beautiful views overlooking Lake Delton, eight total water parks, zipline tours, and an entire golf club. While looking at this resort, I wondered “What makes this resort a ‘wilderness’ resort?” The answer is absolutely nothing. You couldn’t walk 10 feet through this resort without finding something man-made, and there are people everywhere. The location is about 15 minutes off of the nearest interstate, and also minutes away from large shopping and dining districts. They continue to sell land and expand the attractions at the resort as well. Wilderness is supposed to be an area surrounded by nature, an uninhabited region. As nice as the resort is, the name does not fit the description. If you want to stay at the real wilderness resort, grab some gear and spend a night deep in the woods.

http://www.wildernessresort.com/