ABOUT THIS SITE

This site is a noncommercial, educational venue for the distribution of current scientific evidence, medically relevant information, and related topics that address the impacts of biodiversity loss and environmental degradation on human health and quality of life.

The contents of this website are intended for educational use and may be freely copied and distributed for noncommercial purposes, except where materials are used by permission, in which case you should contact the copyright holder for usage permissions. Text and photographs may not be taken out of context or used for purposes other than those intended by this website without the prior written approval of the copyright owner. Please credit this website and/or the individual author or photographer when using materials from this site.

The Organizations Sponsoring this Site

The Wilderness Medical Society

The Wilderness Medical Society is composed of physicians, allied health specialists, and other individuals concerned with matters related to wilderness medicine and the benefits, health, safety, and medical care of individual in the wilderness. WMS strives to encourage, foster, support, and conduct educational activities or programs that improve the scientific knowledge of the Society’s membership, as well as the general public, in matters related to wilderness environments and human activities in these environments.

The Environmental Council of the WMS serves to educate WMS members, health care professionals, patients, and communities about the impacts of environmental degradation on human health and wilderness. The Environmental Council provides educational materials to assist in these outreach efforts and collaborates with individuals and organizations with scientific expertise on the global environment to disseminate information delineating the need to preserve environmental health.

I believe that societies and individuals will be motivated to preserve ecosystems, species, and cultures only when they have grasped the full dimensions of the environmental crisis and thereby perceive directly the connection between environmental preservation and the preservation of their health, and that of their children.

Dr. Kimberly Johnson, MD — Chair, Wilderness Medical Society Environmental Council

The Society for Environmental Education

The Society for Environmental Education (SEE) uses scientific knowledge and direct observation to promote sustainable use and conservation of the planet’s natural resources. We take science teachers and students out of the classroom and into the forests, streams, and fields that surround them. Our primary goal is to teach as many people as possible — especially science students — about the beauties and wonders of the natural world, that they might gain a deeper respect for and understanding of the way our planet’s natural systems function, with the hope that these people will then go on to study and protect those same environments or habitats. Our aim is to turn students and their families into stewards of the environment who work toward its conservation and sustainable use. SEE works closely with outdoor guides and naturalists, scientists conducting research in a wide array of disciplines, and especially with school teachers. We put people in touch with the natural world around them and teach them to use it wisely, travelling to environmentally important locations to teach ecology courses, perform research, assist in conservation efforts, and promote environmental education among the people most capable of affecting the course of development and conservation in their own neighborhoods.

The People Behind the Scenes

This site is a collaborative effort, drawing together contributions from many sources and representatives of several NGOs and other agencies.

Joseph Dougherty: Site designer and contributing author/photographer. Founder of the Society for Environmental Education. More information.

Kimberly Johnson, MD: Project coordinator and contributing author. Chair of the Environmental Council of the Wilderness Medical Society. More information.