Making the World a Wilder Place: The World Wilderness Congress and Public Perceptions of Antarctic Wilderness

The World Wilderness Congress is a forum for people interested in wilderness protection, from policymakers to indigenous groups, and is noted as the world\u27s longest running conservation project. In addition, the Congress holds an academic conference to promote the sharing of knowledge and research regarding wild land conservation from a multitude of representatives from different countries and organizations. As participants in the 2013 World Wilderness Congress in Salamanca, Spain, student researchers Kelly, Larrea, and Pinkalla (under the supervision of anthropologist Jessica O\u27Reilly) experienced firsthand the political climate surrounding the international conversation on wilderness policy and protection. The student researchers also presented their original research findings to the World Wilderness Congress. Their major project was to conduct recorded interviews on public perceptions of Antarctic wilderness and analyze their results. This interview project is part of a multiyear, international initiative to provide public input on Antarctic wilderness management issues. Our Thursday Forum provides a brief overview of our research as well as discusses our broader experience at the World Wilderness Congress: the issues that international conservationists are discussing today, the challenges facing global wilderness preservation, and what we at CSB/SJU can do to protect wilderness at home and abroad