Millennials and wildlife

Recently a trend that starting popping up on my Facebook and Twitter feed involves a series of articles and studies on how Millennials are having a hard time engaging with nature. A few articles such as National Geographic  try and create a picture that the millennial generation needs a different encouragement to engage and visit National Parks. Others such Business Insider just say that Millennials simply don't care about nature. I thought I would just give my two cents on the subject while trying to be as civil as possible.

For starters let's start with the obvious which is the socioeconomic position that  Millennials are in. Many people in this current generation are struggling to find jobs and to support housing etc. If you do happen to get a job it's often one that doesn't pay a lot and demands a lot of your time. So in my opinion one of the main reasons why Millennials aren't in National Parks every weekend or are out experiencing nature is because we simply don't have time. If you get one day off after an eight or twelve hour shift then it's most likely that you will use that time to do chores around the house or catch up on your social life.  Let's not forget that a lot of jobs nowdays are often taken home. By that I mean that even if your 9-5 job is done, most jobs have documents etc that you need to catch up on. 

Despite that fact that National Parks are a relatively cheap destination backpacking and camping aren't, You need a car or mode of transportation to reach the area and if you want a good set of hiking books, a good backpack and a decent sleeping bag and tent then it all adds up. Sure it's often a one off investment since these items tend to last for a long time but the initial investment can be steep for someone barely scraping by(which is often the case with Millennials). 

It's always the case with these articles that go after a newer generation. If you decide to tour all National Parks and engage with nature you are called " lazy" and that you live off your parents' money and aren't contributing to society. If you decide to work then you don't engage enough with national parks and so forth and so forth. It's a vicious cycle that simply won't let go. 

Now on to another issue. The fact that Millennials need to be always plug into the grid. That Millennials won't visit wilderness areas because they get no signal. This is true for some people that's not often the case. The ability to disconnect is in fact one of the reasons why myself and friends enjoy visiting wilderness areas. The ability to zone out, sit down and stare at a fire or read a book by the coast is a small luxury  in a world that is often over flooding us with information and news.

I also want to say that although our generation seems to be on the grid, it doesn't mean it can't appreciate wilderness. There are entire websites, subreddits etc dedicated to the beauty of nature. At any point during the day I can view pictures of mountain ranges, forests etc that I have never visited before in my life. I can have a much broader perspective of the world and of nature. I can watch scenes featuring wildlife that I will probably never have a chance to witness in real life. The idea that we are a generation obsessed with staring at our screens needs to stop. Some of us may be but then again every generation has some rotten apples.

Campaigns such as #findyourpark, help engage those of us who may have never considered visiting a park or had no idea how close a national park is to them. However ultimately I think it's up to the parents as well as your age. When you are a child you find nature wonderful. As you grow up new experiences tend to take preference over nature. There are electronic games and later on flirting and drinking. That doesn't mean that our generation doesn't appreciate nature. It just means that for some time we choose to focus on something else.

Perhaps another fact which makes it seem as if millennials don't choose to hang out at National Parks is the accessibility of travelling. It is easier than ever to jump on a plane and go somewhere you have never been before. Sure it takes money(see my point above) but if you can do it then why would you visit a local National Park? The park will be there when you return but a cheap ticket to the otherwise side of the world is fleeting. So most people my generation tend to travel when possible because we all know that eventually travelling won't be as easy. Whether it's family, a job or simply age, travelling is a concept that always seems like it's going to experience. So we opt for that option because the local parks will always be there. Perhaps a better way is to explore whether millennials attend other parks abroad. Perhaps some sort of age study may support my thoughts.

Overall though it's a false accusation. Our generation has embraced National Parks, public lands and wildlife as much as any other. Online campaigns to stop cullings, to stop pipelines and to preserve public lands are thriving. For us national parks aren't just a place to visit but also a place to defend, write about, tweet about and facebook. We share our information fast and we like getting information fast. However in the end of the day when we are around a campfire staring towards the beautiful landscape of Yosemite/Yellowstone or in my case the West of Scotland, everyone falls quiet and just absorbs nature. As much as other generations want to separate us from nature, the primordial spirit will forever be there.

Leave your face out of nature

In case you haven’t heard, there has been an increase in injuries in Yellowstone NationalPark this year. Who causes theses injuries? Is it bears? Is it wolves? Is it mountain lions? Well technically it’s bison but it’s all the tourists’ fault and let me tell you why.

In a culture that’s obsessed with taking pictures and showing our presence in places, a lot of tourists in Yellowstone (and other national parks) have risked their lives in order to “take a selfie with a bison” or other animals.  When you try and get close to a bison or a deer, you stress them out and they attack you. So why do you want to take pictures with a wild animal?The word why is screaming in my head.  I have a theory as to why. It’s the same reason why people pay to take pictures with wild animals in zoos and it’s the same reason people climb dangerous hills to take a picture of themselves with a stunning view.

We want to be part of nature and in some cases safe nature.

Safe nature is what I call Nature that is beautiful and marvelous but won’t harm us for our stupidity. Take zoos and parks for example. They charge a lot of money for a chance to take pictures with wolves, tigers, bears etc. These are dangerous animals and often elusive and having a picture with one shows that you care. It shows that you are a part of nature and makes you stand out from the norm of Facebook/Twitter/social media profile pictures. 

Through my experience working with captive wolves, I’ve come to identify two kinds of people that are interested in them. The first group are the genuine wolf lovers. They are more interested in the wolf than they actually are about taking pictures. They will interact with the wolf, observe it and to them just touching the wolf and being there is a great honor. The second group is the vanity lovers. These people may love the wolf but love what it represents and how their love of wolves will appear to the rest of the world. They care less about the animals and more about being positioned next to them, getting a picture interacting with them and so forth.  The line is very thin.

Unfortunately vanity lovers aren’t only present in zoos and this is where the main problem occurs. In zoos, the captive animals are under some sort of control. But in the wild an animal that attacks humans is very likely to be put down, removed from the wild and transferred to a zoo or even become so upset that it’s vulnerable to predation. Several studies have suggested that our presence in national parks and in the ocean wildlife watching has a significant impact on the animals as it stresses them out, reduces their physical condition and often cause miscarriage and alteration in behavior.  

But it’s all worth it for the selfie right? Well no. Not only are they potentially harming themselves and the animal but are also setting precedent for others to act on. While one tourist can get away with a selfie or a video interacting with wildlife, others may not be so lucky. Don’t just consider attacks. Even small animals like squirrels may be harmful as they may carry diseases that could be contracted by tourists who interact with them.

So here is a simple idea, leave the selfies alone. Put your phone down and enjoy nature for what it is. If you happen to be lucky enough to have a unique encounter with wildlife, cherish it for what it is and don’t try and take pictures with yourself in it.

If you want to take pictures of wildlife make sure you do it from a safe distance, following protocol set in place(bear spray, particular distance etc) and be responsible. Wildlife and nature aren’t there for your enjoyment and you should feel grateful to be in their presence. Otherwise visit a zoo. That’s what they are there for.