During our discussion of diary of a citizen scientist on Wednesday, someone mentioned that they appreciated Russell’s enthusiasm for sharing her passion over beetles. After reading more of the book, that thought really stuck with me.

To put it bluntly, I am not a big fan of the book. Reading chapter after chapter about insects isn’t the most exciting thing, although I’m trying to enjoy it. However, I too appreciate Russell’s relentless passion for her little niche of nature.

Reading this book has got me thinking, do people think my love for nature is boring? Once more, this thought reenforces the idea that we all perceive nature differently. While I might not be enthralled by the discovery of new beetle species, I think it’s awesome that Russell can find excitement in something so different from the natural things that I find excitement in. And yet, our very diverse interests still fall under the same category of nature.

Along similar lines, I thought it was cool to hear everybody’s different observations of Sullivan Park. While we all drifted off to sit in different directions, we were all concentrated in a relatively small and aesthetically homogenous area. Yet we all saw different things and connected different trains of thought. It was very cool.

Team: Nick Gates, Tory Bingaman, Owen McCann

This, our team began our research on Site 2, located along the Bushkill Creek at the bottom of college hill. We noticed the College’s intense redevelopment efforts in the area, noting that the architecture had changed dramatically even since we started at Lafayette.

In previous classes we’ve learned that our site has fallen victim to serious flooding over the years. After some initial research, we learned that the Delaware River (just down the way from our site) flows at 6ft on average. With the Bushkill being a major tributary to the Deleware, flooding clearly poses a serious threat to the Williams Art Campus. We are looking forward to examining how this flooding has effected the businesses, architecture and wildlife on our site.

As we paddled down the Delaware yesterday, I was inspired not only by the beauty of the area, but also by the history of the river. There were multiple points on our journey when I felt connected to something greater than the moment we were in.

Despite crossing over the Delaware countless times when traveling around the area, it wasn’t until yesterday that I made the connection that we were paddling on the same river that George Washington crossed in 1776. As we discussed at the end of our paddle, it was the “same water” that has been on this planet forever. It was a pretty cool connection to make.

A second moment that stuck me was when we encountered the ancient boulder fields towards the end of our trip. The juxtaposition of the jagged rocks shooting out of the still waters was a simple beauty that stood out to me. Once again, it was humbling to think that those rocks have been there for thousands of years.

Lastly, I thought it was really cool to learn about the canal barges that dominated the trade industry in the region during the early 1900s. I can only imagine how cool it would have been to see a 90 foot boat floating down the canal, unobstructed by the hustle and bustle of modern technology. On our drive back to Lafayette, I noticed a mural that was painted on the railroad bridge at the intersection of the Delaware and Lehigh River. Painted clearly on the side was an image of one of the canal boats that we had just learned about. It is clear that the city of Easton is proud of its historical relationship with the waters that flow through it.

Our 2004 Chevy Tahoe chugged down I-90 as we chased the setting sun across the vast green plains of South Dakota. We were on our way to Yellowstone National Park, 3 days into a road trip that we had been planning for almost 2 years. It was almost 9pm and we were closing in on our intended campsite at Badlands National Park, tired and hungry after a nearly 12 hours on the road. As we stared off into the horizon, my three best friends and I sat silently, individually enjoying the splendor of this beautiful land. Soon, however, we noticed that it was too quite.

“Why isn’t my phone charging?” questioned Clarke, keen on getting one last snapchat of the sun. A moment later, the car’s dashboard lights shut off completely. The engine noise died down and it seemed as if the car was shutting itself off. Sensing a problem, we pulled off the highway into the first gas station we could find. As we rolled into a small gas station right off the highway, the car simply died.

Unfortunately for us, it was a Sunday and the small, family-owned gas station was very closed. After half an hour of panic and confusion we came to the realization that we would be spending the night at the Cenex station in Reliance, South Dakota. Here we were, 1,700 miles from home “stranded” in what most would consider the middle of nowhere. With the situation completely out of our control, we put our phones on airplane mode, pulled out the lawn chairs and sat down to watch the sunset.

In that moment, nothing else in our lives mattered. Time became irrelevant as we simply disconnected from the outside world. While the breakdown seemed like a disaster at first, we quickly realized that is was the best thing that could have happened to us. We had no choice but to embrace our surroundings and make the most of our situation. It was relieving to put down our technology and enjoy nature in its purest form.

Just like the scientists in Ritchel’s “Outdoors and Out of Reach” article, we felt no sense of urgency, no anxiety, no commitment to anything besides the moment we were in. It was a sense of freedom and relaxation that I find hard to come by in my everyday life.

The next morning, we were greeted by a confused but friendly gas station owner. He installed a new battery and sent us up the road to a car dealership where our blown alternator was replaced. We were in the Badlands by lunchtime, only a few hours behind our intended schedule. However, that night in Reliance had quickly become our favorite experience of the trip.

I think that nature offers something different to everyone. While some might enjoy the manicured beauty of Lafayette’s campus, others might find satisfaction in a more remote, untouched natural setting. Personally, I’ve always been drawn to the latter.

In today’s class we talked about what nature is and where it exists. I mentioned that nature is beauty. Throughout my life, I’ve always been drawn to places that we define as “natural.” Whether it is the mountains, a lake, or the ocean, I love being outdoors, exploring “nature.” However, my love for the outdoors has always surrounded the mountains and lakes that surround my home in New England. When I came to Lafayette as a freshman, I was worried that I was giving up the natural environment that I had grown up enjoying. Since then, however, I’ve come to realize that this part of the country (while different) still offers its own form of natural beauty. I’m really looking forward to Cultures of Nature because I believe that it will allow me to better understand and love the natural environment that surrounds Lafayette College. I hope to come away from this course with an answer for today’s question of “what is nature?”

Below are some pictures I’ve snapped of some of my favorite natural places.