ABSTRACT
This chapter describes depictions of nature in Second Life, one of the most popular and groundbreaking of these online worlds. Second Life is a visually rich 3-D virtual space containing imitations of real-life artifacts and activities, as well as utopian fantasies and alternative realities. It has a relatively impressive pedigree. Second Life consists of a number of internetworked, three-dimensional ‘islands’ or ‘sims’, each of which is actually a web server. According to Second Life: The Official Guide, as many as 15% of the male users of Second Life are represented by female avatars—perhaps because they find social advantages in doing so. The literature on virtual reality and on the way nature is represented, constructed, and experienced in real-life museums, theme parks, and tourism reveals a complex interconnection between real and virtual, with possibilities for both clarifying and distorting. The biophysical environment of Second Life is different from real life in several key ways that impact residents and their constructions.
