Motivation
As a landscape photographer and environmental activist, I see the need to protect our natural environments from human-induced degradation. This is because of more than just a landscape’s aesthetic qualities—the natural world offers us a space for reflection, meditation, and refuge from modern life
This concept is understood through Sublimity which was theorized by Edmund Burke, Kant, and other great minds from the past. According to Roderick Nash, Sublimity suggests “the association of God and wild nature” (Nash, 1982). When we destroy or devalue a natural area, we steal away the mystery it contains. This affects the human condition on a spiritual and emotional level. Without wild areas that inspire our souls to be creative and to wander, we would lose a very special part of the human condition.
Natural landscapes, or those which have remained intact through all of the eras of Western development, provide for our spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being. Interpretations that emphasize the importance of preservation and conservation impact and teach visitors to value wild spaces in a more respectable manner. This helps to not only ensure the preservation of the natural landscape, but also will provide a place for humans to study, explore, and connect with for decades to come.
This publication serves as my interpretation of Redwood National Park. It is my hope that it will provide benefits for a variety of purposes including to further conservation efforts, to inspire the human spirit to spend more time in wild spaces, and to educate others on the current issues that Redwood National Park is facing.
I aim to build connections between park visitors and the landscape they are visiting. Maybe, even more importantly, I also hope this publication can document one of the most amazing landscapes that North America has to offer in a way that promotes land, species, water and air conservation efforts.
Greg Jacobs is an Environmental Photographer and writer with Western Images and Light, He is currently working on research for his Master Degree in Environmetal Studies