Quiz for Kids For kids 12 and under

Instructions: You will find six displays along your Walk for Wilder-ness today. An answer to each question can be found on the dis-plays. Your parents are welcome to help you. Complete the quiz, and get a cool prize at the end of your walk.

Quiz for Adults For people who want to have fun but can’t pass for 12

Instructions: Adults—you’re on your own. You won’t neces-sarily find your answers on the displays. Successfully com-plete the quiz, and get a leave no trace patch at the end of your walk.

Are you wilderness–wise? See how you fare on this wild quiz! It’s simple to begin– just pick up a form and start pondering. Every participant gets TWO rewards– a prize (kids) or patch (adults) and the reward of under-standing what you’re trying to save.

Wilderness Quiz– Start Here!

Great Sand Dunes Wilderness, CO

“A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the land-scape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untram-meled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” (The Wilderness Act of

1964)

Wilderness is a place where the imprint of humans is hard to see. It is where natural proc-esses are the primary influences. It is a place without roads, motorized vehicles, motorboats,

mechanical devices, or buildings. This allows us to experience wild places, find quiet, and feel

free.

What is Wilderness?

1 Denali Wilderness, AK

To e

stab

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a N

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Pr

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, AZ

The Importance of Preserving Wilderness

Plants and animals live wild

Place for scientists to study

Clean water in streams

Clean air to breathe People enjoy quiet Beautiful views Place to learn about

nature Spiritual values People feel free from

cities, noise, crowds

3

Mt. E

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mm

on

abov

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eelin

e.

National Wilderness Preservation System

The National Wilderness Preservation System is made up of more than 660 designated areas throughout the United States. The larg-est wilderness area is Wrangells St. Elias in Alaska, and is about 9

million acres. The smallest wilderness area is Pelican Island in Flor-ida, with only five acres. There are 41 wilderness areas in Colorado. They include Mt. Evans, Wilderness, Great Sand Dunes Wilderness,

Maroon Bells – Snowmass Wilderness, and Indian Peaks Wilder-ness, to name a few.

Of all of the land in the United States, including Alaska, 5% has

been set aside as wilderness. Wilderness areas make up 2.5 % of the land area of the United States outside of Alaska.

Wilderness 2.5%

Non-Wilderness 97.5%

Non-Wilderness 95 %

Wilderness 5 %

U.S. excluding AK

U.S. including AK

5

Wilderness in the U.S.

Threats to Wilderness There are many issues in Wilderness. Some threats, like air pollution, come from cities outside of Wilderness. Some threats come from people inside Wilderness such as tram-

pling plants and disturbing wildlife. Here’s a list of some of the threats:

6

Litter can hurt plants and animals, and looks ugly Walking off of trails can kill plants and lead to soil erosion Making a big campfire can leave an ugly black fire ring and ashes Feeding wild animals can make them unhealthy Big groups of people can be noisy and bother people who want quiet Weeds can crowd out native plants and disrupt the ecology

Organ Pipe Cactus Wilderness, AZ

Wilderness Quiz– Ends Here!

Rocky Mountain National Park, CO