I've followed this thread with great interest as it addresses the maybe most
important issue we humans as a race are about to face; how to not only
survive as our numbers are increasing, but to do it with some more or less
wild areas left for both other species and ourselves to enjoy. And there are
no easy solutions to this.
The best way to avoid the masses in the National parks of the American West
is; go off-season. I've been almost the only visitor in Capitol Reef, Utah
in November, not even Grand Canyon seemed especially crowded at this time,
though a revisit there later (in May) got me stuck in one of the worst
traffic jams I've ever experienced. And the light for photography is much
nicer than in the middle of the summer. On a visit to Zion NP on a Saturday
most of the time went for searching parking places, with better planning
visiting it prior to the weekend we would have had much more time and it
would have been far more enjoyable.
To put things in perspective, national parks in countries like Kenya and
Ecuador survive under totally different conditions. Hopefully there will
always be lots of *rich* westerners paying to see these natural wonders, if
not, I'm afraid it's adios to Masai Mara and Galapagos. And hopefully, the
money spent here does benefit the people of the area and not some corrupt
government.
What strikes me, is that many times the very same people complaining on lack
of space in nature reserves don't give one ----- of their own immediate
surroundings. The reason for many cases of overcrowding is that not enough
area and space has been set aside. I work a little with environmental
issues, trying to save the very last piece what can be called wilderness in
my homearea and it can at times be quite frustrating. It seems OK to
eradicate a population of whatever behind your own backyard, just let
someone else somewhere else save the species.
All this reminds me of two fantastic experiences I recently had. One was on
Kangaroo Island, where the icons of the state of South Australia lies, the
Remarkable Rocks. A set of totally unrealistic boulders sandblasted by wind
and time, so surrealistic you'd think Salvador Dali had a thing in the
making. Here, we we're totally alone in the late afternoon! Not one single
soul for hours in sight. Just we and our cameras (24/2.8 and 35-70/3.5-4.5
used, obligatory Oly-content!) at prime-time.
And later the same experience was repeated at Pinnacles, Nambung NP which of
course are the icons of the state of Western Australia. Very weird
formations, (though not similar, gave me the same feeling as Bryce Canyon,
Utah) and spread out over a fairly large area. We we're the first car to
enter the national park at dawn, and it took an hour before a second car
arrived. We were having one of most attractive areas of the whole of
Australia in front of you and being all alone.
Sorry for the off-topic and lenght of this, but these places what I put in
front of my OM's. The very reason for owning them. And to be part of this
list.
Cheers
Ulf Westerberg
Nature- and Travel Photography at www.start.at/westerberg
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