Women & Wilderness

As our inaugural initiative, we’re collaborating with LOTO, Lady of the Outdoors, to delve into the unique relationship women and those who identify as women have with the wilderness


 

Jessica E., 42, small business owner and mother 

1) What defines wilderness for you?

Wilderness, for me, really means two things: 1) quiet and 2) a lack of or greatly reduced human impact. Human interaction with our natural spaces is important so the nuance of such a statement is critical. What I mean is the lack of apparent degradation of the space due to human interaction. For instance, trails are typically a sign of human interaction, however, I feel most comfortable when I am recreating outside in wild spaces on marked trails. As long as the trail was thoughtfully created and holds reverence for a space, I see that as a human interaction that was not hurting the space. For me, wilderness is not just on a trail in a forest though. It can be underwater observing the underside undulations of the waves, it can be found on a paddleboard floating atop a river, it can be many things but in all of these quiet (or lack of machine and manmade sounds) can be experienced. 

 

2) What do you enjoy about being in the wilderness?

I enjoy a lot of things about being in the wilderness. Chiefly among them is a way to connect my breath, heart and mind to each other and the natural world around me. I try very hard to not have devices with me whilst in the wild. A phone or other safety related communication devices are important but I do try to keep them off or on silent. Our world is so loud and busy much of the time. Allowing space to hear the natural world benefits me immensely and helps point me back to being present in the moment. The more I can see and hear, the more I connect to myself and the natural rhythms around me which results in reduced feelings of franticness, stress, anxiety or worries. 

 

3) What are your first memories or early experiences of being interested in nature and wilderness?

My first memories of nature and wilderness interaction happened at home. My family lived on almost 5 acres surrounded by forest and corn fields. My parents didn't allow a lot of technology and the TV was no on much. As a kid I used to complain that all my friends had game systems or TVs in their rooms but now as an adult, I am so glad my parents made the choices they did with that. It forced us to be outside. We had a large yard with a lot to do, animals and a small hobby farm to tend to in the summer which kept us all outdoors. But it was the fields and the forest across the gravel road from us that I enjoyed the most. Just wandering and playing and exploring through the forest, woodland and ponds nearby. Sometimes I would be gone for hours just being outside. I also remember the darkness and the quiet at night. There was a farmer's house nearby and just a few other homes so it would be dark and quiet. We could hear the owls in the evening calling to each other. We could see so many stars. It was an amazing way to grow up and I think that was the foundation for my love for the outdoors and the beginning of solace being out in the wild can afford you. 

 

4) Do you have a most memorable experience in nature or wilderness? If so, please describe.

Yes, a few come to mind but I think the top one comes from a time a few years ago. My husband, young son and I were on a camping trip throughout Southern Florida to celebrate my son's birthday. For a few nights we had the privilege to camp in a truly Wild Florida space - Kissimmee State Prairie Preserve State Park. Surrounded by ever encroaching development, this park holds in perpetuity the last remaining trace of Florida Dry Prairie - a unique habitat found nowhere else on Earth. It is within the Everglades Headwaters system and magical is the only way to describe it. Inland Florida has beauty all its own but it can be hard to see it at first. It is wild, rough and can feel inhospitable at times but that is why it is special. It requires you to be present, quiet and truly see. On one day in late January we set off on a 7 or so mile hike through the prairie. The route we'd take led it to utilize several connecting trails through different microhabitats within the park. As we were nearing our final trail turn that led us to a section of the Florida Trail which we'd be on to finish our hike two incredible things happened. Out in the literal middle of this vast space was a small marker that was not on indicated on the map. It was a small white square with the letters JJ on a 3 foot silver pole. I stopped in my tracks. Just a few months earlier, I had suffered a miscarriage. It was some of the darkest times of life attempting to heal from that. For healing, I routinely sought time in nature and with my family in nature. But I also needed to name our son that never made it earthside. His nickname would have been JJ. It was so healing to me in ways that is hard to truly explain but it was the best trail magic I have ever experienced. Not even five minutes after seeing this and making this turn, an enormous alligator was in a small area of water right off our trail. This gator was the biggest I had ever seen (easily 9-10 feet long) and was only a few feet away from us when we saw him. We froze, he froze. Then, he disappeared into the water popping back up as we continued our hike, then disappeared into the water again. This was just an incredibly moving experience in many different ways, all of it reflective of why wilderness is special. 

 

5) Do you have a dream wilderness adventure?

I have many dream adventures! It is hard to choose just one but lately I have been really wanting to go back to Vancouver Island, British Columbia. I was fortunate to have traveled here several years ago but did not get to the most western and northern parts of the Island. I would love the chance to go and explore those areas. 

 

6) How has the wilderness brought you strength or helped you as a person? Wilderness has always worked as a salve to me. It is like a friend. There to challenge you, bring joy and fulfillment, offer its embrace when you feel sorrow. It has helped me to heal, push myself and learn about myself. It has also been a cornerstone in my family's development. My husband, son and I have been getting outside together religiously since he was born. It has been a priority over many other commitments on our time and we collectively and individually are better for making this concerted effort.  

 

7) What are your biggest challenges when it comes to spending time in nature? There are very real challenges when it comes to spending time in nature. Mainly, there are mindset challenges and then access challenges. 

 

For many years, I had a hard time embracing local or 1 tank adventures as "true adventures" because I had this mindset that it wasn't "good enough" if it wasn't big, grandiose or flashy. But as I got older and had more life experience, I started to really understand and then fall in love with embracing what's possible. What I mean is that everything can't be big and grandiose and flashy and that is okay because beauty and fulfilment can be found everywhere in the wild. You just have to learn how to find it, how to truly see it.

 

Access is also a challenge. Access can be affordability, mobility, accrual of knowledge and know how and time. Our schedules today in modern America are insane. It takes a ton of effort and a lot of second guessing ourselves to ensure we don't overschedule our commitments to allow for free time in nature. By doing that, you miss out on some other things. It's a balancing act for sure.