Wildness as a Value

I have been thinking more about Wildness as a distinct value of Place, articulated better than me by friend/colleague Marc. An aspect I think important is the sense of personal discovery: that the secret of this unexpected patch of Lespedeza capitata amongst the copper and fluff of Schizachyrium scoparium is mine alone. That nobody else knows about this leftover sand pit, and to look for wolf spiders. (Both photos, Waukesha County). In a city, this idea of undiscovered place seems at first in sharp contrast to the desire for full and deep community engagement with place. Can a landscape belong fully to and be beloved by everyone, and at the same time, be to any person, theirs alone – and full of wild life to be discovered? This is the tremendous potential of air-line yards [Three Bridges Park]…