Maps - the wildest places on earth, or, where humans aren't.

[frozentripper]

About half the world's land area is still in a more or less natural state, it seems... maps below worth a look for relative state of bigger-picture landscapes, or where you are or going to, where you'll be driving or canoeing through.

https://gdra-tnc.org/current/

Scientific explanations in Nature on how maps on this sort of thing might be created, after a quick scan with various criteria for defining "natural" or "impacted"... Includes another map although cannot zoom in like the above. Reading for the weekend anyway.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-50558-6

And the NG report where all this came from, also not read yet.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/...20200611&rid=2A87AD12013E47D47DED02B87BF20E0C

Back to werk....

 

[Boreal Birch]

Very interesting, no wonder that my favorite places have the least amount of human activity.
Thanks for sharing these sites.

 

[RickR]

Thank you for posting these links! A lot of food for thought ...

 

[Erica]

Thank you for the interesting links!

 

[gumpus]

Love the first map. It really does make one think. I'm retired but I remember staring out the airplane window on business trips and daydreaming when I'd see places with little or no signs of people.

 

[frozentripper]

YW all.... I'm stuck in crowded old Toronto which despite the map color is being touted as a green place... so the map and the dreaming helps. Hoping to one day visit some of the actual green places down the east coast of the states, esp Florida. And see a coral reef with dive gear for the first time before they all disappear cooked by climate change. Keep those TRs coming, next best thing to the real thing.

Rick

PS... summer is finally here, almost, and looking out over Lake Ontario, always good to see so few people out there while on shore it's cars, bikes, pedestrians, kids screaming road noise, music, drums, barbecue smoke. Can't wait to get back up north.

 

[Odyssey]

Thanks for these Rick, I've bookmarked them for future evening pondering.
For the past 2 weeks I've seen your Toronto from across the lake as I've commuted between home and work; L Ontario looks so surreal green and blue and inviting. A few sailboats, a few kayakers, a few shoreline picnickers, they're all a welcome sight to me. It's the QEW traffic I'm disgruntled about. (I am included in that.) But despair not. Fewer travellers as a result of Covid-19 has resulted in more local explorers, whether by water or land it's good to see people getting out in ones and twos to (re)acquaint themselves with their locality. I believe that's been a good thing, seeing the riches right under our noses. I am hoping as things improve we will all remember those riches. "The grass is always greener across the fence." That may be true but It's always good to gain a better appreciation for our own "backyards". ATB

ps But yeah, I too have been dreaming of escaping The Golden Horseshoe for greener pastures north. lol)

 

[frozentripper]

Odyssey, I did find some time to drive up north a week ago, enjoyed the time, very few bugs and pleasant temps like we are having now. The drive back along the westbound 401 was heck however because of all the night construction.

Looking across the lake over to your shores, it's been a while since visiting St Catherines, Grimsby, Welland, Thorold, Niagara... I did get to see some of the old Welland canal ruins at one time (there were three canals dug IIRC since maybe a hundred years or more?) and canoeing there.always seemed like something to do.... cheers.

 

[Guest]

Interesting reads, and the maps are fascinating.

As trippers I guess we are an anti-social lot, and tend toward the wild places where other humans aren’t. I don’t know about the Tibetan Plateau, but the far north and western desert rivers appeal to me.

More locally, and further south, there are vast areas of marsh and swamp that are mostly uninhabited and little visited. With a canoe or kayak the hidden places, the special places, in those areas are inaccessible to folks with motors and are easily paddled.

 

[Black_Fly]

Interesting, but not a lot of consideration for interdependence or sub categories of biomes. Still, only so much can be shown on a map.

The eco region section was most illuminating, I think. Interesting that even here, among outdoor people, first thoughts are exploitive. Humans just aren't wired right for a true "land ethic."