In this issue of IJW, we remember the wilderness giant Stewart “Brandy” Brandborg. Betsy Lindley, Maria Blevins, and Scott Williams discuss cultural meanings and management challenges for urban-proximate wilderness areas. David Cole documents the historical development and evolution of the Leave No Trace program. Finally, Crista Valentino highlights the emergence of new conservation leaders with the CoalitionWILD program.
In this issue of the International Journal of Wilderness, Vance Martin announces that the 11th World Wilderness Congress, or WILD11, will convene in China in late 2019. Read through his editorial, “WILD11: Why China…and Why Now” to get the full scoop.
Additionally, Cao Yue and others present a preliminary study mapping wilderness in mainland China. Carol Griffin, Jeff Marion, Jeremy Wimpey, and others examine campsite policies in wilderness related to Leave No Trace guidance, recreation ecology, and management practices across several articles. Amelia Romo and others also examine the impact of wilderness therapy programs in wilderness settings. And much more!
In 2017, IJW began an online publishing format. This format will continue in 2018 as we seek to reach our diverse audience in multiple ways that are consistent with current professional and academic dissemination of science and stewardship. We also have the opportunity to expand our social media presence and outreach by changing how we provide information and content to practitioners, scientists, advocates, and stewards. Plans include providing open access via the IJW website to the tables of contents, editorials, and the “Soul of the Wilderness” for the current volume. Through these changes, it is our goal to provide ongoing engagement, discourse, and exposure for the important topics and issues raised by the contributing authors of IJW and its valued readership.