Outdoor Alliance Publishes Student's Climbing Piece
On March 19th, 2018, Outdoor Alliance published a blog post by Environmental Humanities second-year student, Dan Hohl.
The post, How Climbing Fosters Place Attachment, speaks directly to Dan’s dedication to inspiring people to think environmentally
as they recreate in outdoor spaces. Dan is drawn to the outdoors as an avid climber
and skier and these activities have connected him to distinct landscapes in ways that
push him to advocate for them.
Dan writes that “climbers do not need to read the research to understand the power of place attachment. Our sport boasts hundreds, if not thousands, of incredible places that we have become connected to as climbers.” The relationship between climbers and places drives Dan’s work in the Environmental Humanities program and informs his own life. As part of his research Dan conducted a survey of climbers across the country and “the results showed [him] that most climbers care enough about local places to be concerned with increasing impacts,” thus reinforcing his own feeling of stewardship toward the crags that raised him to be the climber that he is today.
“However, the current times demand more of climbers. Our fellow outdoor recreation groups and other allies need the climbing community to contribute to causes larger than local climbing protection,” Dan writes, advocating that, “the climbing community cannot hold back its support until our crags are in the line of fire for development or privatization. We can pick up the pace of our volunteer and advocacy efforts by contributing to our allies even when their campaigns do not directly relate to climbing.” He hopes that his piece, as well as his larger work on climbing and stewardship, will inspire readers to think about ways that they can ensure that the places where they recreate are protected and cared for. In the current era of climate change and public lands controversy, environmentally-conscious recreationists are needed more than ever and writers like, Dan, make it their goal to communicate this need to the public.