This past weekend, our class was immersed in two starkly contrasting cultures of nature. Conservation and the role of humans in nature are defined in opposing ways at Hawk Mountain and Cabela’s. While Hawk Mountain has a rich history of conservation, even attracting the likes of Rachel Carson, Cabela’s marketing strategy of protecting the environment in which we hunt is flawed. Because Hawk Mountain prohibited hunting since the early 1930s and began to collect data on migrating raptor populations, Carson was able to see trends of decline in the number of immature eagles. Carson linked this decline to the use of DDT; eggs were not hatching and newborn eagles were dying rapidly. Being a unique sanctuary along a raptor migration path, Hawk Mountain became a case study for Carson’s Silent Spring. In opposition with these concepts of conservation, Cabela’s conflates a respect of nature and conservation with the ability to take from nature what you can and rise as a victor, taxidermy trophy and all.

According to the Hawk Mountain Visitor Center, “nature” is “The world outside our window.” This is phrase was written above the windows located in the back of the visitor center where guests can sit and watch birds gravitate to the feeders placed outside. To the Hawk Mountain Visitor Center, nature is to be viewed and conserved. It is picturesque – worthy of a calendar, puzzle, or picture book. This concept of nature as a picture was also evident in the Golden Eagle presentation when the eagle was held in front a large crowd and the bird handler assured viewers that they would have the opportunity to take photos.

At the Hawk Mountain Visitor Center, the aftermath of mass hunting of raptors was shown in a dramatic black and white photograph – an image that prompted Rosalie Edge into action in founding the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. This starkly contrasts with Cabela’s promotion of hunting. In the store, a photograph placed beneath a large elephant mounting shows a member of the Cabela family smiling proudly with his kill behind him. Though admired in the form of a picture, nature at Hawk Mountain is respected in its living state as something to be watched and cared for. The regulations to protect raptors in the sanctuary, birdwatchers stationed with binoculars, and HMS staff tracking population counts demonstrates this respect.

Cabela’s provides customers with opportunities to interact with dead, constructed forms of nature. In this way, Cabela’s becomes a destination. Nature in this constructed and conquered form becomes a museum of interactive entertainment. Not only are guns sold, but you and your family can pay a visit to the Gun Library. Patrons can play at the Wilderness Creek Shooting Gallery or shoot some bucks in a video game at the entrance to Deer Country. Our group was lucky enough to catch the afternoon Diver Dan show in the Aquarium. During the show, Diver Dan scooped of the largest catfish in the tank and jostled it around, opening its mouth for the viewers to see inside. The shooting games, the mounts and glorified hunting stories presented in Deer Country, the photo of Cabela and his elephant, and Diver Dan clearly demonstrate Cabela’s overarching theme of man dominion over nature, the “sportsmanship” that is promoted is a competition of man versus nature.

At Cabela’s nature is respected as a challenging arena of sportsmanship – a place to conquer. Animals are hunted for “bragging rights” as one sign at the front of the store bluntly states. Cabela’s true narrative of conquering nature clearly overrides the companies attempt to come across as an environmental steward. When leaving Deer Country, visitors are confronted with a sign stating, “Ensure the beauty of the outdoors. Support wildlife conservation. Meanwhile, trophies for conquering nature – in the form of taxidermy – are displayed in their still, lifeless form posing the recreated scenes of the nature from which they were “taken” (i.e. in Deer Country and on the central-store mountain of miscellaneous game). These posed animal figures give “silent spring” a whole new meaning. Why, after all, would we “take” animals out of nature to have them pose in a plastic recreation of the environment in which they once lived? The store uses the word “taken” in the labels of where and how each animal was hunted and killed. Using “taken” over “killed” further emphasizes the concept of nature as something to be conquered and attempts to avoid the negative association of hunting with purposeless killing.

This narrative is set up from the time one first approaches the store and into the depths of Deer Country. The statue in front of the store, entitled “A Leaf On a Stream,” presents the image of the American frontier with a pioneer and a Native American together on a canoe. The plaque explains that both cultures sought ways to survive and overcome the challenges of nature. Woodsmen such as Daniel Boone “made the woods, mountains, ad rivers ours,” according to the plaque. Paired with this narrative, the most emblematic image of the Cabela’s experience can be found in Deer Country. I saw children experiencing the museum of constructed nature. They reached the point in the exhibit where there was a model cabin with an artificial human sitting outside by a fire pit. A young boy pressed a button and the human figure became animated and stated, “Took some mighty fine woodsmanship to get them with a bow and arrow. Those bucks were smart. They don’t get that way [large and strong] by being stupid.” It was startling to see that the only animated portion of the museum was the human. Everything else was silent and posed.

These images of Cabela’s contrast with scenes at Hawk Mountain, where humans still relatively still to take in the action of raptors around them. The predominant image of Hawk Mountain is the visitors perched on the peak binoculars in hand, sitting on rocks, announcing the arrival of new groups on birds that are gliding along their migratory path. People sit for hours with a supply of snacks and a thermos holding a hot beverage. In terms of similar images, however, captive animals become a spectacle for visitors. This is seen in the case of the wounded Golden Eagle and the catfish displayed at the Diver Dan show. In both of these cases, the animal, when taken out of its natural setting became a form of entertainment, used by humans as an attraction. Viewing animals as play things can cause people to develop a problematic mentality of our dominion over other creatures.

At Hawk Mountain, birds of prey are viewed through binoculars and in photographs as majestic and powerful creatures. This is a reverence similar to that which is conveyed in Abbey’s “Watching the Birds.” This is a stance that is not often taken in other parts of society where raptors are fear evoking or somewhat repulsive. When taken out of the distanced bird watching context and placed in the context of being seen up close, attacking prey or feasting on dead animals, raptors may evoke a feeling of disgust. Mary Oliver discusses a more complex yet dark feeling toward vultures when she states, “Locked into the blaze of our own bodies/ we watch them/ wheeling and drifting, we/ honor them and we loathe them/…however ultimately sweet/ the huddle of death to fuel/ those powerful wings” (1983). Eagles, however, evoke a feeling of patriotism and pride in our landscape since they are a national symbol. While fostered and protected by Hawk Mountain, certain birds of prey would be fair game to hunt in the eyes of Cabela’s, just as an elephant would be, despite the many efforts to protect such animals.

It is clear that Cabela’s is marketing heavily toward a “masculine,” anti-gun control demographic of white men in a higher socio-economic status. Whole families do go to enjoy the Cabela’s experience so there are items to appeal to children (hunting toys, stuffed animals, and shooting games), young girls (pink camouflage attire and pink toy guns), and women (jackets and home goods). The signs around the store depict white men hunting, fishing, and earning their “bragging rights.” Miscellaneous items around the store tout the second amendment and the masculinity associated with guns – mainly in the form of wall hangings and t-shirts. Cabela’s attracts a higher socio-economic class that A) has the means to spend experiencing the store and spending leisure time hunting and B) the money to afford the high-end, pricy gear and décor available in the store. The store even provides people with the opportunity to purchase home butcher shop equipment such as meat grinders and dehydrators. There is a fee to enter or become a member of Hawk Mountain, which may deter some families from going, however this fee is certainly not comparable to what one would spend during a trip to Cabela’s.

The contrast between Hawk Mountain and Cabela’s relationship with and definition of nature is certainly apparent. These places represent opposing narratives of how humans interact with nature – as picturesque and necessary to protect versus being conquered through sport. This trip presented to extremes of the American human relationship with nature though there are certainly other cultures and relationships that are part of the spectrum of interaction.

Is it impious to weigh goose music and art in the same scales? I think not, because the true hunter is merely a noncreative artist. Who painted the first picture on a bone in the caves of France? A hunter. Who alone in our modern life so thrills to the sight of living beauty that he will endure hunger and thirst and cold to feed his eye upon it? The hunter” (230).

All about perspectives! Reminded me of Cabela’s in a sense, and also how all of us can appreciate nature in very, very different ways.

“Some have attempted to justify wildlife conservation in terms of meat, others in terms of personal pleasure, others in terms of cash, still others in the interest of science, education, agriculture, art, public health, and even military preparedness. But few have so far clearly realized and expressed the whole truth, that all these things are but factors in a broad social value, and that wildlife, like golf, is a social asset.” (Leopold 226-227)

Leopold brings the idea to the surface that regardless of who you are or what you believe in  (whether its hunting or conservation biology), we all see wildlife as an asset. We are consumers. He points to the differences in types of consumers throughout the last few chapters to emphasize that there are conservationists and also hunters who disregard the future of wildlife. There is no way around the truth that wildlife is a social asset, but there is the opportunity to educate for the future of wildlife so that all can enjoy this asset for as long as possible.

“We fancy that industry supports us, forgetting what supports industry.” (Leopold 212)

We have lost touch with nature through the mechanization and gadgets of this time, according to Leopold. I think this quote is very relevant to our field trip to Cabela’s because of the amount of merchandise in the store to assist hunters or fishermen in unnecessary and trifling ways.

Hawk Mountain, since its turn to the protecting and counting of and education on the birds that migrate through the area, has become quite the tourist attraction. It has large amounts of people coming through daily, it has a gift shop, welcome center and even international interns with name tags saying where they are from. For these tourists though, they come to admire and they come to learn. There is something for everyone here, a quiet native garden, a variety of different hiking trails (even one that is handicap accessible), educational programs and bird watching. Nature here means being outside and observing nature. Hawk mountain also provides opportunity to help participate in citizen science by watching for birds, and educational programs to learn more about them.  Even the visitors center lays out the history of Hawk Mountain, from its days as a hunting ground to its protection. There are somewhat hands on exhibits that allow you to see where the different lookouts are on the mountain, and to learn more about the birds that fly through the area and their importance to the ecosystem.

Hawk mountain has been counting birds of prey consistently since 1934, the longest of any place. Their data has been immensely important in understanding the size of these populations, aiding in the understanding of population decline because of chemicals. Because they have been counting since 1934, the mountain is very important, as they have been collecting this type of data before anyone else started to.

The north lookout seemed to be where naturalists went to escape the more touristy areas down below. Here there was no educational table, no benches, and a lot less people. The ones here were nestled into the rocks and ready to stay for the long hall. It was much quieter up here than at the first lookout on the trail. These birdwatchers are up with the official counters, also shouting out when they see something, working with the counters to make sure each bird who passes is counted. They were excited by seeing birds, and even got a bit aggressive when identifying them, yelling that it was actually something else. It was as if they were racing to identify it first, and before it was lost in sight. I felt almost as if our class was intruding in their space, not contributing to the spotting and being educated while we were up there.

These birds of prey have important roles in the ecosystems, as predators they keep populations of mice and other small creatures down. Their prey often carry disease so in turn the birds are also limiting the spread of diseases. They are quite important for their ecosystem services. Also though, they can be regarded as important for cultural reasons too, such as the bald eagle for Americans.

Cabela’s, obviously a bit skewed because it relies on consumerism, had a different view of nature. With aquariums, taxidermy museums, food, and games, the store is definitely a ‘destination’, and an overwhelming one. Cabela’s showcases how humans can interact with nature through various recreation, though hunting is the most prominent. Their close mostly include Cabela’s brand, and the majority of it is camouflage but they can be worn hiking, skiing and doing other non hunting activities. The mindset of Cabela’s is that sportsmen are the greatest advocates for conservation and protecting nature. While this may be so that they can continue to hunt, many of the taxidermy animals don’t represent that mindset. There were endangered animals stuffed and on the mountain, or pictures of them dead on the ground, such as the polar bears and the elephant image. A conservationist would never commend such types of hunting.

There is an entire gun library, rows and rows of different types of fishing poles, and bows and arrows. There is cameo for the woods, and for the snow, different accessories for guns and many  things I’ve never seen before in a store. Everywhere the store has different food options, be it hot from the food court or jerky between the clothing isles. This store has everything, and everything somehow relates back to hunting or nature. There were even chairs that were made from fabric that had a forest printed on it. Their products were greatly gendered. Everything for women was pink – even the cameo. For men to be masculine meant to be a hunter or fisher. In the gun gallery, Jackie and I were the only women in there when we went to go observe. While men would walk into Cabela’s wearing a variety of things, there was an astonishing number of women who walked in wearing Cabela’s pink apparel.

Spending time near the mountain at the center of the store was very interesting. Many people stopped to take selfies, especially with the two polar bears. Others stopped to take pictures of the mountain it’s self. In deer county, it was very quiet, and dark. The people there were reading the signs and the articles on the wall. It was serious. There were also people taking pictures, but no selfies. Each animal had a wooden sign below it in each of these places, telling us what species it was, where it was killed, and who killed it and when. I found that very interesting. While these animals (at least in the deer county) were on display for more of a learning reason, they still specified who hunted the animal, making it look just like an actual trophy, with their name engraved in it. This helps us to understand the culture there, while nature should be respected and protected, it should be so that we can use it as recreation, as a sport.

On Saturday morning I sat on the windy ridge, listening to the Hawk Mountain biologist, surrounded by other bird watchers, all craning our necks every which way to see the birds soar overhead. From the 5 year-old girl to the 60-something year old veteran bird counter, we were all being educated on an animal that is far superior than us. This weekend I learned that Hawk Mountain isn’t just a place to go for a hike or a place to escape reality but rather it is a place to get first-hand knowledge. Visiting Hawk Mountain provides an opportunity for us all to learn about birds of prey and why they travel to our little sliver of Pennsylvania. This educational message is clear both in the visitor center displays and up on the quiet ridge. While on the ridge you are surrounded by people that are so passionate about birds that they radiate their passion towards you when you sit amongst them. You want to join in their silence and admiration as you wait to see which species of birds will fly past next. While at the visitor center the displays contain more direct educational material. This includes photo murals of mass hunting expeditions that took place at Hawk Mountains in the early 1900s and statistics on how many birds were shot down there prior to the establishment of the sanctuary. Other educational material includes large hanging displays of the various birds tat can be seen at the sanctuary and light up maps of various migration paths. These displays provide a more detailed insight into the various bird of prey species.

These images differ drastically from how Cabela’s displays nature. Cabela’s displays nature as something that humans should be intervening with and dominating. This is seen in their sales of guns, crossbows, extensive hunting gear, fishing supplies, variety of home décor- oh and their extensive display of taxidermy animals. There are some small signs on how to stop illegal poachers and at times the idea that hunters can be useful in controlling overpopulation is shared but overall, the store is clearly not focused on encouraging their customers to be environmental stewards. There are clear undertones of violence in Cabela’s that the store strategically tries to cover by selling it as an outdoors store that carries tools essential to being in nature, those tools being guns, crossbows and to some- fishing poles. While using nature as a cover up to the larger ideas Cabela’s is trying to sell, the store sends the message that humans should be dominating nature.

It was in the aquarium that I saw an image that summed up my impression that nature takes a back seat to man at Cabela’s. I thought that in the aquarium I would be able to find some escape from the aggressive symbolism of man as conqueror that were seen in the taxidermy displays. But, this was not the case as right before exiting the aquarium Shawn and I happened to look up at the top of the fish tank to find numerous dead and molding fish. Even though Cabela’s sells itself as an outdoors store that encourages people to get out into nature, the store clearly isn’t practicing what it is preaching if they don’t even pay attention to the little amount of “nature” that exists in their own building. Although this was a small moment in my much larger (and horrific) experience at Cabela’s it showed me exactly what Cabela’s intentions were. Unfortunately, the customers that passed through the aquarium were too busy staring at the enormous catfish to notice the disregard Cabela’s has for the nature within its own walls. I guess that catfish was just one more piece of nature that Cabela’s transformed into something to gawk at.

Unlike at Hawk Mountain, visitors are not going to Cabela’s to be educated about the dead animals on the “mountain” but instead are going to gawk and point at them. Through these displays nature comes across as the “other” that we can kill and conquer and has little other values. At Hawk Mountain we learned about birds of prey and how important they are to greater ecosystems. Although there was a focus on birds of prey at Hawk Mountain, it is clear to the visitor that respect should not just be limited to these birds but to nature as a whole. Hawk Mountain acknowledges the interconnectivity of species in ecosystems in the displays they have and in the products they sell. For example, customers can buy accurately designed baby stuffed animals rather than the general stuffed golden retriever puppy at Cabela’s. Hawk Mountain visitors can buy books about habitat conservation and organic snacks that are low impact rather than armed combat DVDs and processed or fried foods that are for sale at Cabela’s.

Hawk Mountain sends an important message that the environment is interconnected. The Center’s information on DDT directly relates to this point and is important to mention when talking about raptor populations. It was because of Hawk Mountain’s consistent population data collection and Rachel Carson’s research on DDT in Silent Spring, that scientists were able to recognize that something was severely wrong with the population and that the two may be connected. Rachel Carson’s work showed that despite our intentions to only kill off one pest in one specific area with DDT this never turned out to be the case. DDT traveled through ecosystems via the natural order of the food chain. DDT built up through the plants, insects and eventually to the smaller animals that predators like the Eagle consume. Since Eagles are at the top of the food chain and are indirectly consuming many parts of the ecosystem, they can indicate whether that ecosystem is healthy. Therefore when the percentage of immature eagles observed at Hawk Mountain dropped from 40% in 1935 to 20% in 1955, it was clear that something was not only wrong with the eagle populations but with the ecosystems that support these predators.

Hawk Mountain is known for its connection to Rachel Carson and the environmental movement which has helped turn it into a tourist destination. That being said, Cabela’s and Hawk Mountain are both destinations for their visitors. However, there is a difference between the two destinations and what the visitors are getting out of their time. As I mentioned, those at Cabela’s are gawking at a constructed nature and fail to learn about the actual nature that is trying to be depicted. As I thought about the Golden Eagle show I worried that I had been gawking at nature like the customers at Cabela’s. However, I realized that those at the show, visiting the center and sitting on the ridge were absorbing nature not staring at it like it was some strange creature we dominate.

In addition to the differences in visitor attraction between the two locations, the experience was also much more gendered at Cabela’s. This was extremely clear in the products that they sold and the ways that they advertised such products. Cabela’s sells almost any article of clothing that can be found at another outdoors store but in order to make it fit into the Cabela’s theme it was sold in camouflage. Despite this camo theme of the store, fashion options were specifically marketed towards women by adding spots of pink into the camouflage. This pink washing wasn’t just limited to fashion as guns and pepper spray were also sold in a pink option. I’m no hunter but wouldn’t a pink gun or pink camouflage defeat the purpose of trying to blend into surroundings? I’m sure that the higher ups at Cabela’s are aware of this, as are the hunters that walk through the door. That being said the only reason I can think that such products would be sold in pink would be to expand the market to women while the men get the real heavy duty camouflage gear. This creates a tone that men are the only ones actually going hunting. I saw this idea in many of the photo displays throughout the store. One example that comes to mind is an advertisement for a crossbow brand. In the image there is a rugged and muscular man with a dead animal slung over one should with his bow over the other. These masculine images associated with weapons and the pink washing of Cabela’s gear shows that hunting and being in nature is something only for men to do. I mean a home décor in the cabin section of the store almost blatantly said just that. The sign read: “I let her go shopping, so she’ll let me go hunting”.

These gendered advertisements create a notion that women are less capable of interacting with nature the way that Cabela’s intends we interact with it. This is deeply unsettling because it perpetuates the idea that women are less capable than men. Being a female, I know that this is not the case and that I can do just as much as my male counterparts. When a commercial giant like Cabela’s genders nature, which should be a space that is equal for all sexes, it creates an idea that men should be the dominators because it is in their nature to do so. This would not be a world that I want to live in as I would much rather be an equal on the ridge of Hawk Mountain learning from a female biologist while observing the powerful raptors flying overhead.

The trip to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and Cabela’s proved to be a day of contrasting views of nature. The experience exposed me to the people, ideas, businesses, goals, and gear associated with different ways to encounter nature. Hawk Mountain sells a culture of nature, where education and conservation are the primary goals, whereas Cabela’s sells an entirely different culture, presenting the interaction between humans and nature as a relationship where man is greater than animal and nature exists as a trophy to be earned or a game to be won.

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary promotes discovery and conservation of nature, while Cabela’s encourages the idea that man is greater than animals in nature. Both places promote starkly different perspectives on the place of humans in nature, as evidenced by their advertising slogans. A handout from Hawk Mountain lists the slogans: Discover the Many Sides of Hawk Mountain and Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Signs and bags at Cabela’s are emblazoned with the phrase: It’s in Your Nature. Visitors to Hawk Mountain explore the area and its educational exhibits or programs and enjoy the opportunity to then encounter nature on the trails and lookouts. The patrons of Cabela’s spend hours shopping for items for their own benefit, whether a benefit on a daily basis or during their outdoors experiences, and this is the norm in preparation for their conquests of nature. People may be physically involved with nature at both sites, but people at Hawk Mountain are better able to appreciate and enjoy it. People at Cabela’s are more emotionally removed from nature, seeing man as superior to nature. Hawk Mountain visitors may feel as if they are one with nature, supporting the idea of a land ethic and seeing equal value in humans and in raptors.

The presentation of exhibits at the two locations further emphasizes the cultures of nature as something to be conserved versus nature as a competition or prize. Education is a key component of conservation, and Hawk Mountain features engaging exhibits and knowledgeable staff to facilitate this involvement with nature. Life-sized birds give an idea of how one bird’s wingspan might equal my own height, illuminated displays give a visual understanding of migration patterns, and a table with staff members offers information on trapping and tracking the birds on the trail. Raptors are birds of prey, so they play an integral role in the ecosystem by hunting other animals with their strong eyesight and claws. The Sanctuary has been called a “school in the sky” because these birds offer such an interesting perspective to those willing to learn. Cabela’s takes a far different approach in its exhibits, as they tend to glorify hunting for a prize. In Deer Country, an excessive amount of deer taxidermy is illuminated as the focus of the otherwise dimly lit room. Plaques present a narrative of who killed each animal, including “famous” deer and the history behind the death and killer. This promotes the idea of interactions with nature as competitions, such that nature and the animals within it are a prize to put on display. Patrons interact with this deceased and constructed nature and look upon the Deer Country exhibits with admiration, as opposed to how those at Hawk Mountain look upon the living birds with admiration.

The exhibits themselves at these places both contribute to them being interactive destinations, a major way in which they are similar. Hawk Mountain is more than just a trail, and Cabela’s is more than just a retail store. Both offer a variety of options to supplement the experience there, and they know well who their audiences are and how to appeal to them. Hawk Mountain offers programs about the raptors and conservation efforts to sell that version of nature, whereas Cabela’s sells a version of nature where man asserts his superiority or admires a trophy because they know they have a culture of people to whom it will sell. Hawk Mountain includes interactive exhibits on migratory patterns, while Cabela’s offers a Shooting Gallery and video games for fun practice. Both locations are immersive experiences into these drastically different cultures. Hawk Mountain features numerous programs each day, such as the golden eagle presentation we attended, and Cabela’s also features Diver Dan shows in the aquarium section on a regular basis. The unsettling eagle display pushed the boundaries of valuable education and appreciation with an actual eagle, and pushed the eagle to be uncomfortable and anxious in the extra time allotted for an unnecessary photo opportunity. Everyone had phones out to capture the majestic creature, but I am just as satisfied having my own mental images. In regards to photo-taking, people across Cabela’s could be seen taking selfies with the taxidermy. The display of an elephant with a picture of its hunter, Dave Cabela, and a sign explicitly calling it a trophy, was one of the most disturbing sights I have ever seen. The killing of elephants is a huge problem, so this is not something to be proud of and put on display, yet families took photos with it. This illustrates the disconnection between people and nature. Furthermore, the Diver Dan show emphasized the trophy in the tank with a poor catfish that gets manhandled multiple times every day, perpetuating the idea of man’s superiority to the trophies of nature as people looked on in awe. As true destination locations, both had relatively large amounts of their own merchandise for people to buy and wear. Hawk Mountain had a surprisingly extensive collection of hawk-related apparel for babies to adults, and the main brand across Cabela’s is their own brand. Everything seems to have the title plastered onto it, possibly even with some camo patterns. I felt much more comfortable with the educational exhibits, trails, bird watching, community, and even the odd composting toilets than with the mountain of dead things, the gun library, and the attitude that man is above nature.

The members of each culture differ greatly in their perspectives and interactions regarding nature. The North Lookout at Hawk Mountain features a community of people enjoying the escape to nature and its beauty. These people call out observations of birds and their locations, in order to ensure that others see the same magnificent sights. Everyone wants to enrich each other’s experiences in this culture of bird watching. Although bird watching may be observational, inaction is actually action for conservation. People have a deep respect for nature and its creatures. Cabela’s takes a bit of a confusing approach to their visitors because a sign in the Deer Country area encourages support of wildlife conservation, yet they have an extensive gun collection and numerous seemingly obscure products that they know their customers will buy. As far as the culture of these customers, it is pervasive through the merchandise available at the store. This includes jerky blasters and meat grinders to prepare one’s own food, camouflage electronics cases, camouflage furniture and home décor, antler chandeliers, deer hanging lights, rifle plungers, hunter nutcrackers, and incredibly expensive guns and gun safes. The gun section speaks to customers passionate about their guns and hunting, offering extensive options, informational tables, and shirts with phrases like Ban Idiots, Not Guns and Keep Calm and Carry Guns.

A lot of merchandise comes in forms of pink camouflage, and herein lies the gendered culture of nature at Cabela’s. There should not be any reason to market distinctly different versions of things to women, especially when a pink camouflage jacket will not actually be effective as camouflage. This merchandising singles out women as not being worthy of the same gear as men. Plush deer come in two versions: one is camouflage with large antlers and the other is pink camouflage with small, dainty antlers. Personally, if I were to buy a plush deer, I would choose the former, so would I be wrong to choose the more masculine option? The entire store seems masculine with these particular feminine items pointed out as such. Hawk Mountain, on the other hand, has a much more feminine touch. Its founder, Rosalie Edge, was involved in the women’s suffrage movement and the establishment of this conservation movement. She proved that one person can make a difference in simply choosing to do something about an issue. Rachel Carson illustrated the importance of birds of prey in Silent Spring with scientific data, addressing the increased rarity of “immature birds” and effects of DDT on reproduction, to help support the hawks. Also, the biologist who spoke to the group at the lookout was a very intelligent female, who has worked there for quite some time. The passive approach of conservation at Hawk Mountain starkly contrasts the aggressive approach of hunting at Cabela’s.

Overall, the Hawk Mountain and Cabela’s experience was an enriching one to better understand these two different cultures of nature. Hawk Mountain’s might be best represented by the setup at the lookout with dedicated volunteers counting the birds with fancy binoculars and the community of people invested in the bird watch. Cabela’s might be represented by the mountain of taxidermy, which catches the eye upon entering the place and serves as a central location in the store. Hawk Mountain promotes a nature of education and conservation, while Cabela’s promotes a nature of trophies and man’s superior place in nature.

Imagine looking forward to when you are greeted by birds nesting in the trees in your front yard, singing their melodies to help you rise on those late April mornings. You can count on the birds to be there year after year, signaling that the long winter is finally over and spring has begun. Then one year the birds simply never appear, or if they do it is just one or two of them opposed to the hundreds you are used to seeing. This was the reality facing bird lovers all across the United States in the 1950s, with no explanation offered. An explanation was finally offered when Rachel Carson published her book, Silent Spring, in 1962. She discovered that DDT sprayed to control sudden tree death was accumulating in the birds and causing extreme population decline. This discovery arrived at a time when the public rarely considered the consequences of their actions on the environment.  Through raising the public awareness of the threat of DDT, Rachel Carson transformed the way society perceived nature and pollution, and changed environmentalism forever.

(View from the top of Hawk Mountain)

(Picture taken by ornithologist Richard Pough at Hawk Mountain in 1931)

While it did not have the widespread reach of Rachel Carson, a similar watershed moment in changing the way Americans view the environment occurred at Hawk Mountain. When Rosalie Edge bought Hawk Mountain in 1934 she transformed its usage from a spot where gunners would kill hundreds of hawks in a single day, as seen in the above picture, to a sanctuary from birds of prey. Up until this point birds of prey such as the hawk had been demonized by society. They were viewed as killing machines that were decimating the populations of other birds and invertebrates with little value to the ecosystem. Furthermore these birds of prey were known as pests who would kill household pets or smaller farm animals. Through purchasing hawk mountain and turning it into a bird sanctuary, Rosalie Edge helped change the ethos surrounding these birds. Instead of demonizing them people began appreciating them and their raw power and beauty. Scientists began to recognize their value in identifying the health of the environment through studying the accumulation of pollutants in their bodies due to bio-magnification. They also began to realize the value the birds have to any ecosystem through predator control and ecosystem balance. While these changes cannot all be attributed to Rosalie Edge, establishing the first bird sanctuary in the United States helped alter the perception of hawks and especially the hunting of hawks.

In order to transform the public perception of hawks it is necessary for the Hawk Mountain Conservancy to create an appreciation for nature. Thus, the Hawk Mountain Visitor Center Store attempted to portray a version of nature that was idyllic yet informative. There were beautiful photos of hawks lining the walls, interactive maps with their flight patterns, and stuffed birds with information about the specific bird behind it.

(Book Found in Hawk Mountain Visitor Store)

There were no guns for sale, only binoculars. The entire place was devoted to inspiring a love for nature and a need to protect it, and the history of hunting at Hawk Mountain was presented in a negative light. All of the kids in the store seemed to love the interactive maps, and learn a little about hawk migration when playing them, suggesting that the center has been effectively designed to meet its goal of increasing appreciation and love for the environment.

The presentation of nature as something to be cherished has attracted a lot of like minded individuals from the Lehigh Valley to Hawk Mountain in order to enjoy the graceful flight of the hawks and the beautiful vistas. All of the other individuals up at the northern outlook watching the hawks soar with our class seemed to be incredibly absorbed with what they were doing. While our phones had been confiscated, I expected others to be taking pictures on theres or at the very least looking down at them as people are want to do. Yet, I did not see a single phone during my entire time at the northern lookout. Instead, people were sharing quiet conversations with their peers in between staring intensely through binoculars at all of the hawks. My body screamed to me that it was cold the entire time, but the brisk morning did not seem to bother any of these birders, or at least not bother them enough for them to retreat to a warm fireplace. Instead they simply watched bird after bird fly by. The ability of the people at the northern lookout to appreciate every single bird was incredible to me. While I certainly found the birds interesting and appreciated seeing them soar above me, even when I had the binoculars and was able to observe them in detail I got bored of bird watching after about fifteen minutes and I noticed similar reactions from my classmates. Even though we are all environmentally oriented students, these people had a far greater appreciation for the beauty of nature than any of us seemed to, and I hope to learn from them and begin to take steps in my own life to fully realize how awe-inspiring nature can be.

(Diver Dan)

The appreciation for the intrinsic value of nature the individuals on top of the northern lookout had was in stark contrast to the people I saw in Cabela’s. While in Cabela’s, Joey Ritter and I went to a fish feeding where “diver dan” got into the tank to feed the fish and educate customers. Immediately upon entering the tank, Dan went and grabbed the catfish and dragged it to the middle of the tank. Showing no regard for the obvious annoyance of the catfish, Diver Dan proceeded to pull open and continuously tug on its mouth throughout the show. While he was educating the customers about the fish during the show, he was doing it in a way that showed little respect for the fish and taught the audience that it is okay to mishandle and disturb wildlife.

While the Diver Dan show showed little respect for nature, other parts of the store promoted its conservation and the need to spend time in the outdoors. There were beautiful murals of mountains and posters discouraging littering. Yet, I felt uneasy about the nature presented at Cabela’s. I was unsure why I felt uneasy until I realized that all of the signs and constructed landscapes and pictures demonstrating the beauty of nature and promoting respect for nature were  doing so without acknowledging that nature has any intrinsic value. Cabela’s promotes conservation and glorifies nature strictly due to the value that it provides to humans. In Cabela’s, nature must be protected so that it can be used for hunting or fishing or camping, not because it has value in its own right. This view of nature did not sit right with me, and I preferred the view of nature that was presented to me at Hawk Mountain.

While I felt out of place at Cabela’s, being a white male I should not have. I noticed while walking around that most of the taxidermy animals around Cabela’s had plaques below them showing who had shot the animal (As seen in the above photo). On every single one of these plaques was a white male. White men seemed to be the clientel the store was targeting, and they were the people I most saw in the store. The store contained signs stating, “I let her go shopping so I can go hunting” and other products suggesting it was catering to an audience of white men.

I did not feel at home in Cabela’s, but I did learn a lot there. Before Cabela’s, I had actually never even held a gun, and it was really interesting to experience for the first time. Walking around with Joey through the fishing section he was able to explain to me a lot of equipment I had never heard of, being an avid fisherman. Overall, I thought, while cold, it was a really informative day, and seeing such conflicting views of nature in such a short time span really made it easy to spot all of the differences.

Hawk Mountain

Over the past weekend, I had the opportunity to travel and visit Hawk Mountain, a non-profit bird conservation site and organization. From a bird viewing standpoint, Hawk Mountain is bar none one of the best places I have ever been to; as a class the amount of birds of prey got to see was pretty astonishing and something that I, as a newly-established bird identifier, will remember for the rest of my life. With that being said the following reflection are the additional takeaways that I came away with from my trip.

Stepping into the Hawk Mountain visitor center and gift store, there was an evident version of nature that was trying to be conveyed to the consumer. The “nature” that Hawk Mountain was trying to embody with their visitor center is one that revolves around birds and in particular birds of prey. There were some books that had to with other areas of nature and conservation in general. For example in the book section I located a book about invasive species and another about sustainable gardening. Nevertheless, a majority of the store housed bird-centric memorabilia and knick-nacks, my favorite of which was bird-opoly because it seemed so ridiculous. Other than the useless merchandise, I did enjoy the overall layout of the center and especially the migration machine that made it very easy to understand the distance many of these birds of prey travel in a given year. The visual aspect to learning was incredibly effective at displaying just how incredible these birds are and need centers like Hawk Mountain to market just how impressive these birds are. The next takeaway I noticed was how Rachel Carson was not mentioned at all for what I can remember.

Rachel Carson’s connection to Hawk Mountain is that she used immature Bald Eagle population data gathered at Hawk Mountain in Silent Spring as evidence of DDT’s harmful effects on the environment. Regarding Rachel Carson, she is arguably the most polarizing and famous figure in conservation related sciences today. It was surprising to me that she was not mentioned at all by either the Hawk Mountain Handouts, or by the professional bird counter. Instead the focus was on a different leading lady in conservation, Rosalie Edge, the original founder of Hawk Mountain. To me the focus on Rosalie Edge was more fulfilling and interesting because I had not heard of her before Hawk Mountain, whereas I had known Rachel Carson and had read Silent Spring. The telling of her story really added some depth to my overall experience at Hawk Mountain and in a sense highlighted the fact that there are many deserving characters in conservation, yet are overlooked and sometimes forgotten due to the Carson’s and Leopold’s of the world. Connecting both Rachel Carson and Rosalie Edge to my next takeaway, there seems to have been a real change in culture from what the common perception of birds of prey were during their time and what it is now.

Prior to the installation of Hawk Mountain, birds of prey were looked at as pests to livestock and farmers, so they were constantly shot at. The persistent killing of these birds has waned over the years as consistent education surrounding birds of prey and conservation areas have become more prevalent, yet unfortunately to this day many birds of prey are still “accidently” killed by both hunters and civilians alike. Nevertheless, the major change surrounding birds of prey is this shift in thought that has come from community education efforts that has focused on discredited the fact these birds are pests. From my recollection from the Golden Eagle show most of these birds only reproduce up to the point the ecosystem they live in allow them to.  The reproductive system these birds have in place specifically allow them to conform to what an ecosystem can handle, so the population size itself does not become a problem. For this reason the more birds of preys that are in an ecosystem the higher likelihood that a given ecosystem is healthy and sustaining itself. To reiterate birds of prey have inherent adapted traits that allow them to specifically not become pests on an ecosystem. This fact is incredibly remarkable to me from the standpoint of how wrong people were 100+ years ago for shooting these birds and labeling them something they were simply not.

To conclude my experiences and takeaways from Hawk Mountain I will leave you with my opinion on the golden eagle show. Of all the activities, my least favorite was the golden eagle show because it was the antithesis of what the park was founded upon. The golden eagle was in obvious distress and emotional pain during the show and longer the show went on the more I felt the bird’s pain. The bird was being used to educate people, but looking back I could have done without seeing the bird just knowing the fact it was in a place that did not caused it pain and allowed it to live reasonably well. In the future I think this experience as changed my own opinion on animals in captivity and whether we are actually helping them by unnaturally keeping broken animals alive. It is a question generated by that experience that will keep me thinking for quite some time.

Cabela’s

After my trip to Hawk Mountain, I had the opportunity to also visit Cabela’s, a hunting and outdoor excursion mega-store. There were obvious differences between Cabela’s and Hawk Mountain, but in a way both tried to convey many of the same points involving nature and conservation. Cabela’s was more focused on the retail aspect and appeal aspect of nature, but that is also something Hawk Mountain tried to do as well with their gift store.

Unlike Hawk Mountain, the sense of “nature” that was presented in Cabela’s was extremely conflicting. On one side the store had many occurrences where they supported species conservation and sustainable practices. Then on the other hand along with many of consumers, there was a side that saw “nature” as this entity to exploit and take advantage of. This second side can best be seen from the exotic taxidermy section that housed many endangered or threatened species like the Bengali Tiger and the Elephant. Additionally, the taxidermy presented “nature” as this overly-magnificent entity because it only housed animals that were overly-large, or unique in their own right. This idea was substantiated by the fact that none of the taxidermy was from the east coast, nearly all the deer were from four states: Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, and Michigan. The Cabela’s was located in Pennsylvania, a state with a longstanding history with deer hunting, not presenting taxidermy specimen that were locally harvested made the “nature” presented in the store artificial and not something that I could recognize with. With this being said Cabela’s is just as much a museum as it is a retail store.

Of the many products being sold at the store, the gun-centric memorabilia was the odd products that caught my eye; there were gun plungers for god’s sake. The amount of gun centric products was a bit overwhelming because of all the horrible atrocities that have come from rampant gun purchasing, but I guess it is something that is extremely attractive to a certain population of consumers. Other than the guns, if you’re an outdoors person whether you are an avid ice fisherman looking for the artificial bait Gulp, or you are hunter looking for a new Bowie knife, Cabela’s literally has everything; it is a mega-store. Looking past the abnormal and the inherently outdoorsy stuff, there are a lot of normal, quality products for sale as well. Walking into Cabela’s one could buy Under Armor, Oakley, and North Face, all brands that could be bought any old clothing store. So what this all boils down to is this idea that Cabela’s is essentially a Macy’s with a slight touch of the outdoors.

The last detail I would like to mention from my experience at Cabela’s is the people that shop at Cabela’s. There was definitive visual difference between the overall crowd at Hawk Mountain and at Cabela’s. The people for the most part at Cabela’s were hunters, gun-advocates, ice fisherman, and the list goes on. The people at Hawk Mountain were naturalists, bird enthusiasts, and students. There was nothing wrong with either crowd, but I will say I had more laughs in the Cabela’s then I did at Hawk Mountain. One of my most memorable and funny experiences in Cabela’s was when I was in the gun room. I was looking at a gun case with Italian shotguns guns worth $7,000 and $9,500 in it. A tattooed, stout man walked right in front of me stared at the glass case, put his hands on it and then turned to his wife standing behind me. He waited for moment sort of looking at me and sort of at his wife and yelled with a slight Central Pennsylvania accent, “I guess we will wait for Black Friday.” I gave a chuckle, but the man seemed to not be kidding from the look on his face. People like one man I witnessed in the gun room epitomize what Cabela’s is, a high-quality outdoors store with a consumer base that is equally enamored with outdoor living, so much so they are willing to buy a $9,000 gun to prove their loyalty and unbounding love towards nature and the environment.

Our adventure through Hawk Mountain and Cabela’s was, at times, inspiring, and others, disturbing. Both places aimed to appeal to broader audiences and consumers than just die-hard birders or lifelong deer hunters. They employed crafty marketing techniques to attract children, suburbanites, and those who may not otherwise be interested in nature. The main difference between these destinations, however, is that Hawk Mountain promotes and acts upon much more socially and environmentally beneficial goals while Cabela’s reeks of unnecessary consumerism, braggery, and violence.

Strolling through the small, yet well stocked, gift shop at the welcome center of Hawk Mountain, I saw numerous birding books targeting children and adults alike. There were bird sticker books, stuffed animal birds that make their respective calls when squeezed, and postcards with pictures and descriptions of different bird species. Although some of these trinkets and souvenirs were superfluous, it was clear that they were there to get the public, especially children, excited about nature and birds, and to raise money to keep the sanctuary thriving. There, they were selling a bird-centric, easy to get excited about version of nature. Then again, Hawk Mountain’s goal is to protect birds, so I don’t find much fault with this. I commend Hawk Mountain immensely for the fact that it can appeal to such a wide range of people, because that’s probably one of the big sources of funding for maintaining their more scientifically and environmentally important goal of monitoring raptor populations. Furthermore, the ease of the climbs to the lookouts make the richer part of the experience accessible to a wider range of people. The spirit of Rachel Carson lives on through the birders and official bird counters whose data collection can be used to indicate the relative health of ecosystems since raptors are incredibly sensitive to magnified chemical poisoning. The methods used for funding this essential function are successful and commendable, even if they paint a bird-centric view of nature.

Although I understand taking advantage of the consumerism of the Hawk Mountain visitors, I was much more relaxed and inspired when we got to the top of the lookout which was void of any price tags. It became apparent immediately who at the lookout was experienced and who was a newcomer. The birdwatching excitement and lingo carried through the frigid, windy air and demonstrated a culture of nature that I had not previously experienced. It was full of enthusiasm and excitement every time a bird of prey flew into the scene. I was truly inspired to see so many paying visitors who were there to get excited about nature, but also have contributed to important scientific recording.

My distinct mental image is a panorama. I’ll detail it from right to left: our group listening to the biologist, official bird counters, tree, older woman who was talking to us about the mouse under the rocks on which we were sitting, roaming family that seemed only mildly interested in the birds, more die-hard birders, beautiful autumnal landscape (Farmer’s Field, was it?), owl pole, more amazing landscape, boulders directly in front of me, more die-hard birders. This view was magnificent and I will never forget it as a representation of raptor-lovers and an incredibly successful environmental non-profit.

Those who run Hawk Mountain are certainly explicit about their motivations, and although they use consumerism to their advantage, they do so to achieve socially and environmentally respectable goals. Cabela’s, on the other hand, exists to make money, assert the manliness of the gun-wielding American, and pass on to younger generations the undenied fact that nature exists to be pried open, much like the catfish in the aquarium, and dominated by man and their tools.

Disclaimer: I believe deer hunting in the name of population control is necessary. I believe fishing for sport, with precautions taken to prevent overfishing, is perfectly alright. I love camping, durable outerwear, and wool socks as much as anyone else shopping in Cabela’s, but that store paints a narrative that pushes far past enjoying nature or becoming more intimate with it through sustainable deer hunting. The “mountain” in the middle of the store struck me as a marketing tool to get customers mouths watering and heighten their desire to buy the tools necessary to, one day, hunt animals as proud as the taxidermied ones perched on the mountain. It also presents every person in the store with proof that man can take down beasts twice the size of himself and preserve it to be forever still and photogenic.

A piece of evidence I have for the obnoxious manliness of the store is the marketing of weapons. In every bow section, gun section, or hunting gear section, there are always a few pink versions. The color pink indicates that THIS is the weapon for women since women definitely would have no interest in purchasing anything that’s not pink even though wielding a brightly colored weapon through a forest would most likely alert potential prey and decrease one’s chances of a kill. The interior decorations that were being sold in “home goods” also promoted the view that women are either annoyances or trophies. One sign said “Girls Make Hunting Look Good.” Another said “I let her shop so she lets me hunt.” Allowing children to see the pink guns or these signs hammers in the message that men are effective hunters and women can hunt if they want to, but they’ll never be good at it, so maybe they should just stick to shopping.

Another source of obnoxious manliness was the pure difference in the size of the sections. Guns, gun storage, Deer Country, and meat processing took up more than half of the store while the camping, home goods, clothing, aquarium, children, & food sections paled in comparison. The opinion that everyone should have a gun and have somewhere to hide it/lock it up was not subtle. The gun library included ornate handguns (for deer hunting…?) including one that was advertised as having “pre-ban” ivory on the handle. I have no evidence to believe this decoration on the handle contributes to any hunting effectiveness which would mean that the ivory, whose harvesting was surely questionable, exists purely to show that man can own part of a powerful animal.

I truly do not want to condemn every inch of Cabela’s, but I am finding that quite difficult. There are definitely products there that a well-intentioned, knowledgeable nature-lover environmentalist would purchase, but those products are overshadowed by taxidermy and weapons. The tools necessary to hunt sustainably and environmentally beneficially are also sold at Cabela’s. It would not surprise me in the least to know that hunters with whom I would agree come to Cabela’s to purchase necessary tools. There may be educational aspects present in the labeling of the kinds of deer and bears as well as the “Diver Dan” show, but it’s all too easy to argue that one needs to know these things to become a respected, nature-dominating hunter. The culture of nature present at Cabela’s terrifies me. I fear that children raised on Cabela’s will lack respect for nature and fellow humans, alike and will load up their gun cases so they “never have to call 911” (quote found on a doormat in the home good section).

Going from bird watching atop Hawk Mountain to spending time getting the Cabela’s experience was quite the adventure. These two places operate and exist based on two different interpretations of nature. Hawk Mountain appears to promote nature as something to preserve, learn about, and admire, while it would seem Cabela’s promotes nature as a form of property and a sort of prize to be had. Visiting both of these places on the same day emphasized this difference all the more and heightened how I experienced the two places as I could see one in juxtaposition to the other.

Starting our day off at Hawk Mountain, Jackie, Lori, and I spent some time walking through the museum area in the education center. Early on, while perusing the exhibit we realized that Hawk Mountain sells a version of nature that promotes the preservation, education, and admiration of nature. We learned specifically that raptors are a part of nature we should work to preserve, learn about, and admire as we walked through. First we were educated about their important roles in ecosystems, that they play a complex role and share complex inter-relationships with living things. We then learned about their history at Hawk Mountain. As mentioned in Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in the chapter titled “And No Birds Sing” the exhibit also explained why so many raptors migrate through Hawk Mountain: the easternmost ridges of the Appalachian Mountain Range here form the last barrier to the westerly winds before dropping towards the coastal plain resulting in upward wind deflection in the autumn that provides a continuous updraft for raptors to ride without effort on their southward journeys (119). We learned that these species are worthy and in need of preservation as we were educated that raptors used to be considered vermin with a bounty on their heads and Hawk Mountain was the perfect perch for shooting them. As word of this happening became known, a woman named Rosalie Edge moved towards preserving the area and these birds by creating the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. We also heard about a later plight calling for further preservation here from Rachel Carson in Silent Spring, that these large migration numbers passing Hawk Mountain were altered as it was observed during the days of DDT and related chemicals fewer and fewer immature eagles were migrating through signaling a reduction in reproduction (120). We then learned of Maurice Broun, the first naturalist at Hawk Mountain, who continued and expanded this desire to preserve, learn about, and admire this piece of nature. He considered this place to be a “school in the sky” and became devoted to protecting these raptors. His commitment to admiring and recording the birds contributed to the viewing and recording that still occurs atop Hawk Mountain today.

Atop the mountain, I finally had the opportunity to experience firsthand this unique phenomenon that before I had only known in an academic way. Comfortably situated among some choice rocks I was surprised to see how many raptors passed by us. After seeing the photograph of raptors lined across the ground in the education center I realized how fortunate I was to see these birds at all.

I was thrilled that there were eagles overhead, and particularly excited by the Goshawk we saw as Jeremy and I noticed on one of the tally boards on the trail only 3 have been seen this season. After learning even more about Hawk Mountain from Dr. Laurie Goodrich and spotting some birds, I began to take note of the people participating in these counts. The man next to me sat perched in the split trunk of a tree with a bleacher seating pad and a sandwich. The man in front of me had a large hiking pack and the woman beside him wore thick, insulated trousers. These people were not just here for an hour or so, they made this excursion a full day trip. As I looked over to the professional recorders I noticed how enthralled in and scrupulous they were about their counts. It was inspirational to hear these people, all so passionate about these counts, discussing sightings and teaching each other about what they had seen. I realized I had witnessed Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and the frequenters practicing stewardship of the environment, as it was clear that the protection and care of this nature was a priority to them. Not only does Hawk Mountain Sanctuary sell nature in a way that promotes the preservation, education, and admiration of nature, they sell it to and meet the demands of a culture of nature interested in the preservation, education, and admiration of nature.

Walking into Cabela’s, I was immediately overwhelmed. My eyes first darted towards the front left corner of the store where I saw a taxidermied lion on display and proceeded to trace the path of exotic animals lining the ceiling around the entire store. This path was only briefly obstructed by the mountain covered with a plethora of taxidermy in the middle of the store and the airplane hovering above. In this moment I found Cabela’s to be selling nature as a form of property or a sort of trophy to be had. Walking through the center of the store toward the mountain this notion of nature as a trophy became more apparent to me as I noticed many of the stuffed animals were marked like prizes as they were labeled by weight, year killed, and who hunted the animal. I next walked into “Deer Country” and saw replicas of record-breaking deer that had been hunted mounted on the walls.

Here I saw evidence of a competing narrative for Cabela’s version of nature as I was exiting and saw a sign overhead reading, “Ensure the beauty of the outdoors-support wildlife conservation.” However, I felt as though this version of nature as something to conserve being sold was drowned by the other version of nature being sold at Cabela’s; perhaps it was drowned out even more so for me since we had just come from another place I found to be more noticeably focused on conservation. After “Deer Country” I proceeded to the large taxidermied elephant with a picture underneath displaying Dick Cabela after he had shot the elephant, and it became even clearer to me that the version of nature in this place involved the perception of nature as a prize to be had. Watching Diver Dan go straight for the largest Catfish in the tank, weighing 48 pounds, to show the crowd first this trophy of a fish, further reinforced my perception of how nature was sold in Cabela’s. Once I made it upstairs this idea of nature as property being sold by Cabela’s became evident with things such as jackrabbit mounted heads, badger pelts, and chandeliers made from antlers for sale. In addition, the sale of weapons and much of the gear stood out to me as a way to facilitate the attainment of nature as a trophy or property.

In the process of observing nature as property and a prize in this place, I found that most of the customers at Cabela’s seemed to be interested in this sort of nature as well; perhaps seeing nature as dominion. While standing at the elephant I did hear a distraught girl who was asking her friend why on Earth they would kill an elephant, however, directly next to her I saw a mother and daughter snapping a selfie with this elephant. I encountered quite a few customers taking selfies like these with some of the stuffed animals, perhaps a way of turning them into their own prize. I remember walking into “Deer Country” and passing by a “Duck Dynasty” hunting video game. I turned around to get a second look and saw two boys run toward it excitedly yelling about how it was their favorite game and they wanted to “shoot some stuff.” I also saw this interest in nature as property or a prize as I observed a group of customers participating in a gun demo in the gun section of the store where they were learning which guns best suited their purpose for attaining nature as a trophy or property. As the version of nature Hawk Mountain sold catered to one culture of nature, Cabela’s sold a version of nature that catered to another culture of nature, one more interested in nature as a prize and property.

While it may be clear from my recollection of my experiences that I identified with one of these versions and cultures of nature more than the other, I acknowledge that there are different cultures of nature and it would be difficult for one to find a sense of belonging in all of them. In the education center at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and atop Hawk Mountain at the North lookout, I felt comfortable in the culture of nature present there. I felt as though I could spend hours identifying birds from the lookout, comfortable and content, learning how to identify them by their flight and silhouette. However, the moment I walked into Cabela’s I felt anxious and uncomfortable. While I understand this is the culture of nature for some people; it is a culture of nature to which I do not quite belong. Having these two experiences side by side was tremendously valuable and made each resonate with me strongly while facilitating my understanding of differing cultures of nature. The exhibits, sights, and interactive demonstrations I experienced at Cabela’s and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary showed they were both unique destinations. However, it is clear these two destinations cater to two different audiences, two different cultures of nature.