Even developed countries have relatively undiscovered areas that have not been spoiled by humanity. For the true nature lover, a trip into one of these areas is a dilemma. On the one hand, seeing something that has been rarely seen by anyone else is a thrill; on the other hand, the mere presence of humanity in these areas can damage them in ways we don’t yet understand. The real challenge is to find a way to visit these undamaged areas without harming them.
The new genre of ecotourism strives to solve the issues surrounding travel into undiscovered areas with a combination of responsibility and social consciousness. For most people the age of the “great white hunter” is long gone and ecotourists take an even more stringent approach. Following the concept of “take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints” ecologically aware individuals seek to see remarkable, rare vistas while leaving as minimal an impact as possible.
Allowing such tourism into wild and beautiful places like the Northwestern areas of Canada helps people develop a deeper appreciation of these wildernesses. It is very difficult to engage people in a cause if they have no understanding of what they are being asked to protect. The real challenge is then, can people learn how valuable such areas are without spoiling them. By letting people explore Canada and it remote regions people become more aware of what there is to save.
Places like Greenland are rapidly losing their icepack. That means that regions of that country that have been relatively undisturbed for millennia are now suffering tremendous changes. There is an understandable desire to see these environments before they have disappeared. Whales, icebergs and Viking ruins draw people to this island nation, but the impact of tourism can damage the very things people want to view. Here, like in all other areas of life, we must be very aware of our impact, and strive to leave things as they were when we arrived. When you explore Greenland you will see the fragile ecology of the place and it makes clearer how profoundly we are changing our world.
Another place you can find an undiscovered paradise when you explore is New Zealand. With a native culture all its own this island off the coast of Australia has not received as much attention as its neighbor. Perhaps unfortunately, with people wanting more and more to visit places that aren’t part of the normal tourism curriculum, the untrammeled areas of New Zealand are being visited more often. It is a constant struggle to maintain a balance between encouraging an appreciation of beauty in the wild and rugged places that remain in our world, and trying to protect them.
Perhaps the best solution is to accept that sooner or later, people are going to reach every remote corner of this planet and stop fighting it. Instead, time, energy and education should be focused upon how critical it is to preserve these areas so that every generation after ours can have the privilege of seeing wide expanses of nothing but nature, beautiful and unspoiled. We are the wardens of this incredible world, and it is our responsibility to protect it.
Do you want to explore New Zealand? Here is our in-country page for some more information – New Zealand
Information on Canada is here. So read up on the beautiful country before you decide to explore Canada.
Explore Greenland by being pulled across the snow by a team of huskies! Here is the Greenland information.
Tags: Kayaking in Canada, Kayaking in New Zealand, where are the best places to explore
