Quiet As A Natural Resource
Outdoor writer and author Ben Moyer explores the benefits of experiencing quiet as a natural resource.
“...society, I believe, would benefit if we could think of quiet as a natural resource, something of value that we might collectively conserve within our environment, like timber, water, and wildlife.
“In one sense quiet is a renewable resource because when, if, noise subsides, quiet can reclaim a place, the way a stream reclaims its bony bed after rain, at least temporarily.
“But in a practical demonstrable sense, quiet is non-renewable.
“A clear-cut forest will grow back, but once our culture probes a quiet place with its clamor, it never fully retreats.”
“Contemplating quiet within society’s rising noise points to a passage from writer Barry Lopez’s book “Arctic Dreams.
“Lopez advises that our most appropriate posture toward landscapes, wild things, all nature, is from “an attitude of regard.”
“What he means by this is being open to what natural places can reveal, acknowledging that landscapes hold “a kind of wisdom to be experienced.
“Quiet serves this “attitude of regard” well. Conversely, deliberate excessive noise, noise that serves no purpose, declares there is nothing else in a surrounding space worth knowing, nothing beyond the din that merits our senses’ perception.
“We all lose much as that mindset deepens and spreads among us. “
Future Of State Parks & Trails
Pennsylvania’s state park and forest trails inspire adventure, reflection, and connection to nature. When asked what they’d like to see in the future, trail users shared a vision rooted in respect, accessibility, and stewardship.
Much More
-- 2025 Awards Banquet
-- Friends Groups In Action
-- Small Actions Lead To Big Impacts For Conservation
-- You Made It Happen
-- PPFF Now Accepting Award Nominations
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Resource Links:
-- October 17 Take Five Fridays With Pam
-- Blog: The Pennsylvania Highlands Trail Network
-- Podcast: Think Outside
[Posted: October 25, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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