International Conference on "Nature, Wilderness, & Places"
Conference Dates: July 10-14, 2024
Format: Virtual/In person combined
Submission Deadline: Feb. 29, 2024
Notification of Acceptance: Mar. 15, 2024
Registration Due: Jun. 1, 2024
Dear Colleagues,
The organizing committee of "Nature, Wilderness, and Places: Interdisciplinary and Cross Cultural Dialogues" and the 2024 Annual Conference of Research Center for Nature, Wilderness, and Civilization (NWC) invites interdisciplinary scholars, researchers, educators, artists, philosophers, environmentalists, conservationists, and practitioners in a variety of fields to submit proposals for individual presentations, workshops, panels, and poster presentations that address the intricate relationships among nature, wilderness, and places. The conference will take place over five days in two spaces: the NWC Metaverse Space and the Soochow News Mansion in China. The conference is co-hosted by the Center for Environmental Philosophy (CEP) in the USA, the Cape Horn International Center (CHIC) in Chile, and the Research Center for Nature, Wilderness, and Civilization (NWC) in China.
The study of "place" is a fundamental and enduring topic that has captured the attention of environmental philosophers, humanists, anthropologists, geographers, and scholars in a variety of closely related fields for generations. The term "place" encompasses not only biophysical and geographical dimensions, but also weaves complex narratives of human connection, belonging, and identity that reverberate across cultures and societies, imbuing the plural form of place, "places," rich biocultural diversity. The dynamic interactions between human communities and their surroundings produce evolving and complex survival strategies that are deeply rooted in the ecological and cultural contexts of particular places and habitats. These strategies reflect the adroit ways in which societies adapt to their environments in response to the unique challenges and opportunities presented by their geographic locations and habitats. The intersection of place and environment is not limited to the practical realm of survival, but extends into the realm of symbolism and attachment through cultural landscapes, a deep sense of rootedness, and the shades of human existence and experience. While researchers and practitioners delve into the rich meaning of Place, they unravel the stories of the past and provide invaluable insights into the complex and evolving dynamics that continue to shape our living spaces and planet today.
In practice, the understanding of the concept of nature and wilderness varies enormously from one ethnic group to another and from one region to another, due to differences in geospatial and cultural tradition. These understandings have led to different senses of place that have directly catalyzed and shaped a range of eco-cultural practices, including the creation of permanent wilderness reserves, biocultural conservation/restoration, ecotourism, permaculture, rewilding, and the creation of various types of heritage sites such as gardens, agro-cultural sites, urban eco- cultural venues, and re-purposed industrial landscapes, to name just a few. Rewilding, for example, as an ecological restoration strategy, aims to restore and revitalize the natural balance and biodiversity of a place by reintroducing native species, allowing natural processes to unfold and reducing human intervention. In the process, rewilding not only restores the ecological integrity of a place, but also promotes a new understanding of the unique natural heritage of a particular site. As rewilding efforts progress, they can generate a profound sense of "place" that is not only ecologically vibrant but also culturally significant, reaffirming the vital link between humans and the landscapes they inhabit.
In an era characterized by rapid urbanization and socio-environmental challenges, most of the world's people live in urbanized environments and in landscapes that have been transformed by human societies. People's relationship with nature, wilderness and places has never been more complex, as people seem to be separated from nature and wilderness, yet aspire to be connected to nature and wilderness within the places they inhabit. This complexity is affecting environmental practices across the places. This conference aims to promote a deeper understanding of the intricate relationship between the natural world as well as people's sense of place. The organizing committee encourages submissions that explore the following related themes:
Philosophical, Historical, and Cultural Perspectives
Nature, Wilderness and Place in Western Philosophy
Place and Wilderness in American Transcendentalism and Chinese Philosophy
Indigenous Knowledge and Wilderness
Wilderness and Place in Ecocriticism and Environmental Philosophy
Environmental History and Heritage: Place, Memory and Meaning
Cross-cultural Understanding of Nature, Wilderness and Place
Define the Concept of Wilderness in the Context of Asian-Pacific Culture
The Concept of Place in Field Environmental Philosophy and Biocultural Ethics
The Concept of Place in South American Philosophy
Perspectives of Spatial Philosophy
Spatial Justice in City, Countryside, and Wilderness
Wilderness and Place
Metaverse and Place
Metaverse and Environmental Humanities
Metaverse and Wilderness
Digital Space and Human Experience of Place
Perspectives in Ecological Practices
Wilderness and National Parks
Wilderness and Ecological Design
The Practice of Rewilding
Outdoor Recreation and Ecotourism
Wilderness Education
Place-Based Biocultural Conservation and Restoration
Ecology in Urban Landscape Architecture
Aesthetic Perspectives
Aesthetics of Farming
Food Aesthetics
Aesthetics of Biodiversity in Cities
Wilderness Aesthetics and Nature Conservation in the Metaverse
Environmental aesthetics, ecological aesthetics, and aesthetics of nature
Everyday Aesthetics and Environment
EcoArts
Spirit of China's New Great Northern Wilderness
Geographic Concept and Humanistic Connotation of the New Great Northern Wilderness
Eco-city construction in the New Great Northern Wilderness
The New Great Northern Wilderness and Eco-tourism
Environmental Education through the New Great Northern Wilderness
We welcome proposals for:
Individual Presentation
Panel Session
Workshop
Poster
Submission Process:
Fill out the form at the bottom and submit to nwc.annual.meeting@gmail.com. Instructions are also provided at the end of the document.
Registration Fees:
Standard Registration: $ 60
Graduate Student Registration: $ 30
Contact Information:
For inquiries and additional information (such as VISA Application for in-person participants), please contact the conference organizing committee at nwc.annual.meeting@gmail.com.
We look forward to your contributions and hope to have a meaningful dialogue with you on these vital topics. Please feel free to distribute this Call for Proposal in your relevant networks.