Denise Koch: Earth's Wilderness And The Human Impact

"In wildness is the preservation of the world." -- Henry David Thoreau

Sir David Attenborough is worried about the earth's wildness and given the statistics running through his extraordinary documentary film "A Life on Our Planet," there's reason to worry.

The film is streaming now on Netflix and I suggest you watch and form your own opinions. It left me more than a little concerned about the state of our world and the human imprint that is taking over every corner that was -- at one time -- during his 94 years on this planet, wild.

I have only experienced 'wildness' once or twice and those moments make up some of my happiest memories. There is something about feeling small, insignificant to nature, that frees the soul.

I have sat on a porch and heard nothing but wind and the sound of my own breath. I have ridden through deep woods and tried to trick my mind into forgetting there was a city 30 miles away. I have been on a Jeep driving through bush where animals are the dominant species and humans inconsequential.

None of these adventures compare with Sir David's lifetime of experiences, but they changed me.

Just a moment of 'wildness' and my inner life was honestly altered. I realized I am just one small human in a vast natural world. And beyond those in my little bubble of life, I matter very little. I learned to take it in, SEE it, and never forget how comparatively meager my life.

I would love more than anything to find a 'wild' place right now. I wouldn't even mind parking there for a month or twelve. But if it helps this precious planet, I will commit to traveling only in my mind. Instead I will re-watch "A Life on Our Planet" and let the camera take me where we humans should stop going.

And I will resolve to do and to change what I can so 'Wildness" can preserve this world we hold so dear.