Forum Network

Conservation biologist Jonathan Adams opens a wide-ranging discussion of the possibilities for preserving wilderness in the 21st century.

Imagine the North American continent that Lewis and Clark encountered on their epic journey to the Pacific. Now picture the continent today, crossed by interstate highways slicing through vast mono-cultural fields as they connect vertical urban centers and sprawling suburbs. Adams' new book The Future of the Wild, which contrasts these two pictures, not only reminds us of what has been lost as the industrial economy expanded across the globe, but also proposes effective strategies for successful future conservation efforts. How can we use the insights of modern scientific research to shape conservation plans? How can farmers and loggers, highway departments and conservationists work together to shape a common agenda that both preserves the diversity of wilderness and sustains the people living on the earth today?