ABSTRACT
The above quotation aptly describes the dilemma that has existed for some time in humanity’s struggle to balance natural resource utilisation with preservation. Globally, we have been slow to recognise how our development activities and patterns of consumption have impacted the resource base. Although the implications of our actions are debated, we are decidedly ambivalent on how best to temper development-oriented activities. In this chapter, a general discussion of resources, conservationism and parks is used to describe the polarisation of thought on the value and role of resources within society. An attempt is made to highlight some of the main considerations of the development of a conservation philosophy in light of the pressures that humans have placed, and will continue to place, on the natural world. Parks and protected areas are discussed as settings that have an important role in balancing ecological integrity and touristic demand.
