From: [log in to unmask] (Duncan N Smeed)
Newsgroups: scot.general,scot.environment
Subject: RFC: John Muir Conservation Centre and the Internet
Date: 30 Mar 1994 19:38:52 +0100
Keywords: conservation,wilderness,Muir,national parks,Internet,Gopher,WWW
 
Several people have suggested that I cross-post this from
uk.environment,talk.environment and others.  The main reason for
scot.general is because our site does not (yet) get
scot.environment.
 
The purpose of this posting is to canvass opinion/support/facts for the
concept of using the Internet as an enabling technology for a
conservation centre.  In particular, a conservation centre that
promotes the life and work of John Muir and that will be established in
his birthplace  - Dunbar, Scotland.
 
In the first instance, I would like some immediate feedback - solely in
terms of "I saw your posting [at least to this point]"-type e-mail
response so that I can demonstrate to unbelievers that the Internet
community is alive and well and 'out there'.  Even if you do not read
any further, please send that e-mail now.  If you read further you'll
eventually see an even neater idea for registering an acknowledgement to
supplement the e-mail.
 
If you _are_ reading further, here is some of the background to this
proposal. Firstly, the local (East Lothian) district council have
recently attempted to railroad through a 'John Muir Environmental World'
on a green field site in the middle of a coastal area that happens to be
designated as an area of Special Scientific Interest, several miles
outside Dunbar.  Needless to say, conservation groups such as the John
Muir Trust, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Sierra Club,
National Heritage, and (most) local residents were vehemently opposed to
the idea on the grounds that it was the complete antithesis of
everything that John Muir stood for.
 
Secondly, the district council withdrew their proposal in the face of
these objections, leaving the John Muir Trust and local people to pick
up the pieces and produce their own proposals for a 'John Muir Centre'
(JMC) that would be worthy of the man.
 
Thirdly, last week saw the first meeting of the new John Muir
'champions' and a steering committee has been established to oversee and
advise the study team of the John Muir Trust - who have taken over
ownership of the overall concept - and who will draw up the detailed
proposals for the JMC.  This is where I come in.
 
Having been converted to the conservation cause by the written works of
John Muir and his influence in establishing the National Parks in the
USA - not to mention the sheer awe felt when camping in Yosemite - I
would like to make a small contribution to this project.  As a computer
scientist, what small contribution I can make may best be focussed on
'selling' the potential of the Internet and developments like the World
Wide Web and Mosaic as mechanisms that could be used to enhance the
interpretive aspect of the JMC.
 
Of course, having JMC connected to the Internet offers possibilities
only limited by our imagination for disseminating his work, establishing
a 'virtual community' of conservationists, and so on.  IMHO, it would
also make the JMC an interesting and exciting centre to go and 'visit'
in both a physical and a virtual sense and would relate especially well
to the school and college students who are our future conservationists.
 
There is little point in my second-guessing your imagination.  Suffice
to say that I would be delighted to hear your thoughts and ideas.  When
the JMC gets established I'll make sure that appropriate
acknowledgements are made. I would be especially pleased if you have
information on similar initiatives and innovative uses of the Internet
in conservation.  For example, are there any Gopher or Web sites out
there that have media of interest to a JMC?
 
On a final note - and with thoughts on a PR/Exhibition/Acknowledgement
angle - I would be most grateful if you could spare the time (and the
stamp if posted outside the UK) to also drop me a postcard of your
favourite local 'wildness'.  The purpose of this is, like the e-mail,
to demonstrate the potential of the Internet for reaching as wide an
audience as possible - don't forget to include (at least) your name.
 
            Duncan Smeed
            c/o FREEPOST JOHN MUIR TRUST
            Musselburgh
            Midlothian
            EH21 7BR
            Scotland, UK
 
Thanks for reading this far and I would encourage you to distribute this
posting as widely as possible.
 
Duncan Smeed
--
Department of Computer Science                 Tel: (+44) 41 552 4400 x3587
Strathclyde University                         Fax: (+44) 41 552 5330
26 Richmond Street                          E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Glasgow G1 1XH
Scotland, UK
            "Do something for wildness and make the mountains glad", John Muir