“So far as I have learned, few of all the thousands who have seen the park and seek rest and peace in it are in favor of this outrageous scheme.”
- John Muir, Father of the National Parks
Will Future Generations Preserve the National Parks?
Although more than 84 million acres of land are protected within national parks across the country, America must continue advocating for the well-being of historic, public lands. The health of these forests– politics aside– begins with reallocating the beauty and value these parks hold in the minds of younger generations. Focus has been lost as economic and political agendas moderate the shift away from appreciating natural beauty, to abusing our power as a first world nation and civilized people by plundering the long-standing beauties known as our National Parks to our benefits.
Any Place That is Wild explores the relationship between typographic form and verbal meaning using the journals of John Muir, Father of the National Parks, and recently published text by Michael Sainato and Chelsea Skojec, discussing the economic motives and modern day distractions that are keeping people away from the parks. A third voice, if you will– Ansel Adams' exquisite black and white photography captures Yosemite as beautifully as Muir saw it– furthering the message and shaping the typographic form throughout this publication.
John Muir devoted most of his time to the preservation of the Western forests– petitioning the U.S. Congress for the National Park bill that was passed in 1890, and establishing the Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. His spirit and enthusiasm toward nature is inspiring; to the common man, presidents and congressmen alike, urging people to take action to help preserve our natural world.