Accidental Wilderness is a rich and lyrical collection of essays curated by internationally recognized landscape architect and original designer of Tommy Thompson Park, Walter H. Kehm, complemented by a stunning collection of photographs by renowned landscape photographer Robert Burley. The book documents the entire planning process for the park including the park's master plan principles and design; the native-plant succession process; the park's unique flora and fauna; public advocacy; and public recreation in the park and its effect on mental, physical, and spiritual health.
The essays in Accidental Wilderness elucidate the complex development and unique character of Tommy Thompson Park from a variety of perspectives. Kehm's "Conservation by Design" approach placed the biological needs of nature as the basis for park planning and set the stage for a remarkable story of natural succession. The natural regeneration that followed was startling. Once a barren, rubble-filled construction site, Tommy Thompson Park is now one of the most ecologically rich and biodiverse parks in the Greater Toronto Area. As policy makers begin to recognize public parks as essential elements of natural capital, this book offers a new park model that changes how cities address climate change and the mental, physical and spiritual health of its people.
