What Would Darwin Think?

November 21, 2009, 9:45 p.m.: We have just rounded Cape Froward, the southernmost point of the South American continent, in a 250-foot Dutch clipper ship, headed west up the Beagle Channel and out into the Pacific Ocean. With calm seas and sails furled, the crew and the likes of us celebrate this geographical high point of what is a yearlong voyage.

The Idaho Tide

Late summer’s low flow barely bumped our kayaks down one of the main veins draining the vast wilderness of north-central Idaho, delivering us to the mouth of a place I’ll call Bigfoot Creek. The thin skin of water over rock made the prospect of a 10-mile side canyon hike sans socks seem like a better idea than sticking to some lame compulsion to make miles on the water.

Crowd Power

Surfing is really cool, always has been and always will be. People have different reasons for thinking so, or maybe everyone agrees. It’s super fun. It’s extremely healthy. It’s incredibly stimulating. It doesn’t take much to make one feel good, and the feeling lasts a long time. And finally, there is that mystique, that otherworldliness, that sense that something deep inside is being stirred.

Lessons Learned

I was too young and dumb to protest the pending harbor in Dana Point that would ultimately take away some of the best surf spots on the coast, disrupt natural habitats, and alter water and sand flow. One person though – Ron Drummond – had lived long enough and knew enough to perceive the future, and he spearheaded an attempt to stop the building of the harbor.

Harbor Construction

Bastion Point is a remote surf spot on the rugged coast of Victoria. During intense winter storms, rights are sheltered from southerly winds allowing thick Southern Ocean swells with clean lines to wrap inside and spin down the point. The area has a long history of surfing and tourism, and is surrounded by Croajingolong National Park, making it a unique wilderness surf experience.

Heavy Industry

Santos del Mar is a newly discovered, very heavy big wave slab less than a mile offshore in southern Chile’s Maule region. Chilean surfer-environmentalist and Save The Waves ambassador Ramón Navarro pioneered this giant wave in 2008 and is one of the few fearless locals who regularly pulls into its gaping barrels.

Real Estate

Reef Road is a classic surf spot in southern Florida close to the tourist din of West Palm Beach. Hollow lefts break in southern Florida’s famously clear, turquoise waters, just offshore from packed spring break destinations.

Coastal Roads

Located within San Onofre State Beach, the wave, wetlands and beach at Trestles provides local surfers with a true escape from the stress and sprawl of Southern California’s freeways and endless suburbs. Perfect cobblestone surf regularly peels along the beach and surfers of all styles make daily pilgrimages to this unique state park to ride its long walls.

The One Thing Wolverines Can't Take On

Back in the Ice Ages, the ancestors of wolverines competed for prey and carcasses with saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, mega-bears and giant northern hyenas. Natural selection in this crowd did not favor the slow, shy or even slightly polite.

Finding Space for Tule Elk

Movement turned my eye down the gulch to the right. Out of the coyote brush rose a burly bull elk in full battle regalia. It was almost February and he was now solitary, waiting only for his giant rack to fall. His gaze was fixed on mine, looking for a sign that would tell him if I was friend or foe. One bipedal step was all it took to send him on his way.

Enviro Essay Archive

While we believe that actions usually speak louder than words, we also value the power of story telling and the clarity and intimacy that good environmental writing can bring to our community. Our environmental feature stories are such testaments, reflections, rants and raves. Colleagues, activists and friends are here, lending their voices to our stubborn and ongoing work for wilderness preservation.