At the very beginning of the semester, we began with a ramble  to a few places around campus, one of which was my own project. It was very cool to be able to share my own contribution toward the initiative of sustainability on our campus. A recent update on the state of the garden is that it was recently weed whacked, or at least that is the best assumption I have for now without definitive confirmation. I have been thinking a lot all week about the disconnection that remains in regards to sustainability and environmental projects. If healthy perennial plants were mowed down without any adequate knowledge to identify that, then there is a greater problem at hand. Many people simply lack awareness of environmental issues or initiatives, and the best way to remedy that and make a greater positive impact is to start on a small scale. By drafting a document of maintenance guidelines for the grounds crew, I will hopefully be taking steps toward educating other people about this particular initiative, its significance, and the nature of these perennials. Like any movement, the environmental one must begin with patience and with awareness in small groups so that it may spread to larger groups too. Lafayette still has quite a way to go in terms of sustainability, but with passionate, driven individuals like many people in this class, the future is hopeful.

Koyaanisqatsi is an intriguing film to say the least. The lack of dialog and main characters was different from what might normally be expected in movies, but I found that this enabled the film to speak more broadly about humanity in general, rather than certain individuals. The music and video of the film was sufficient, and they were enough to make me slightly uneasy yet also engaged in the film. I was drawn into the film with the almost hypnotic dirge of the music, but by being drawn in, the film also has the power to make the viewers feel uneasy about their place in the world and their own impacts upon it. However, I would recommend this film, even though it is dense, to others because one viewing would be enough to leave an impact. I found myself thinking about the film throughout the day afterward, so it left a lasting impression, especially since the music was stuck in my head most of the day.

The film depicts the transition from and the difference between the old natural environment and the new technological environment. The film combines beautiful cinematography and an intense, repetitive score to show how life is out of balance. The beginning shows vast natural landscapes with rolling clouds, which transition into rolling waves of water. This shows the harmony between the natural forces which shape our world as the scenes flash between clouds and water. The camera then moves quickly through the area between, showing all the beauty of the natural environment. Then there are images of destruction, machines, power lines, power plants, dams, and more. The stark contrast of these things thrown onto the previously shown landscapes shows the direct and extensive intervention of mankind, utilizing the natural resources. Clouds are shown moving through the sky again, but this time as a reflection on a skyscraper, further emphasizing man’s dominating presence.

A long shot of a plane moving toward the camera captured my attention. It seems to represent the idea of this life out of balance, as it carries people where man is not meant to be naturally. Humans can’t fly and could not without the incredible technology of planes. Another interesting juxtaposition is when a shot of many cars lined up flashes to a shot of tanks lined up similarly. This made me think of the wars waged on other humans versus the constant war on the environment. Even while humans face wartime, the processes and technologies involved further propel the unnatural war on the environment.

The film captures the busy world of today with countless people moving through public spaces at rapid speeds. There are so many people and processes, like assembly lines, featured to show the sameness and monotony of this technological and crazy world. Humans have created much of their own fun and entertainment with games, movies, big cities, bowling, and more, as opposed to enjoying what exists naturally in the world around them. Sightseeing is an example of something that is more of a novelty than a genuine appreciation of the (often man made) sights. Many of the passersby in the film do not appear all that happy or satisfied as they go about their days. The juxtaposition of shots and associational editing of a computer panel and a city planning grid show how precisely planned and technology-based societies are now. The film seems to encourage people to slow down, simplify, and appreciate things in life. If more people did this, more thought would go into people’s actions and projects and impacts on the surrounding world.

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.

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. He will put some things behind, will pass an invisible boundary; new, universal, more liberal laws will begin to establish themselves around and within him; or the old laws be expanded, and interpreted in his favor in a more liberal sense, and he will live with the license of a higher order or beings. In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness. If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them” (Thoreau, 351-352).

This passage truly seems a fitting part of the conclusion to Walden. It is oddly inspirational for Thoreau, but I definitely appreciate this. He sums up what he has learned from this experiment and advocates for the pursuing of dreams in order to exist in a greater place with one’s self and within the world. I especially like the final two lines where he mentions castles and their foundations. He states that dreams and works should be of a high value, beyond the reach of the earth, such that one can then further the dreams and continue to support them or provide a foundation.

“However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is. You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poor-house. The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the alms-house as brightly as from the rich man’s abode; the snow melts before its door as early in the spring. I do not see but a quiet mind may live as contentedly there, and have as cheering thoughts, as in a palace. The town’s poor seem to me often to live the most independent lives of any” (Thoreau, 356).

This passage takes all of Thoreau’s experiences and information from his days of simplicity, connecting with the world around him, and presents it as a generally positive outlook on life. He lived a life of simplicity during his time in Walden and felt the true richness of his life, despite the simplicity of it all. He offers a sense of encouragement in this passage to consider that all humans are equals and may justly enjoy life equally. The simple elements of life, like the seasons and sunshine, are the same for everyone. Those that are poorer merely have less belongings to bother with, just as he did. There are many more things of greater importance in life than wealth.

“I stepped into the field, and they all halted. They stopped short, drew up, and looked at me, every one. I stopped too, suddenly as self-conscious as if I were before a firing squad. What are you going to do? I looked over the field, at all those cocked heads and black eyes. I’m staying here. You all go on. I’m staying here” (Dillard, 255).

This passage seems relevant to a commonly discussed theme of how man intrudes in nature. In this scene, the narrator asserts dominance and claims this place, much like how man has entered natural areas and overtaken them for the best interest of mankind.

“They [monarchs] fly over Lake Superior without resting; in fact, observers there have discovered a curious thing. Instead of flying directly south, the monarchs crossing high over the water take an inexplicable turn toward the east. Then when they reach an invisible point, they all veer south again. Each successive swarm repeats this mysterious dogleg movement, year after year. Entomologists actually think that the butterflies might be ‘remembering’ the position of a long-gone, looming glacier” (Dillard, 258).

This passage about monarch strength and movement was especially captivating. These little creatures are so powerful and mighty as they fly through the skies and travel great distances as part of their necessary lifestyle. Their memory ability is also interesting in the idea that they might fly a certain path because of this ingrained notion that a glacier still blocks their path. Butterflies are simply fascinating little creatures.

“We saw the planet Venus bright as radium floating close to the shoulder of the new moon. We watched the stars, and meteor showers, and the snaky ripple of cloud-to-cloud lightning coursing across the sky at night” (Abbey, 51).

This passage shows how the narrator consciously looked beyond what was right in front of him, to the sky and the solar system. This acknowledges the metaphysics of the world and the natural wonders of the planet on such a grand scale. The narrator sees the world in its small place in the grander scheme of things, and how so many pieces interact in this great system.

Earlier in the semester, I posted an article about charges for plastic bags in Britain. A 5 pence charge was introduced on plastic bags for most groceries and other purchased items, and there was concern over potential bag rage from people being annoyed at any inconvenience. ( http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/07/world/europe/plastic-bag-charge-england.html?ref=earth )

I recently stumbled across a related article about the impacts from such charges being implemented. In the first year after Scotland introduced a 5 pence charge for plastic bags, the number of plastic bags handed out decreased by 80%! This is the equivalent of about 650 million carriers, so that is an awesome decrease in usage! I was initially wary of how people might respond to such charges, but I am now filled with hope. I hope that this practice and this trend continues to expand, decreasing pollution and encouraging practical environmental resource conservation.

This massive reduction in plastic bags equates to 4000 tons of materials and 2500 tons of carbon dioxide saved in the past year. The charges that have been collected have gone to raise 6.7 million pounds for good causes. These key figured from the article illustrate the great scale of success in this endeavor to charge for plastic bags. Small changes on a grand scale can make a huge change. I hope to see Lafayette encourage more reusable materials, like bags at the school store, coffee cups, or food containers in the future!

Here is the article! http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-34575364

After our discussion in class yesterday about bears, I was intrigued by the idea of these massive, wild creatures presented as cute and cuddly. I read the chapter on teddies to find the interesting origin story of the classic teddy bear. During a hunting trip, Theodore Roosevelt declined to shoot and kill a bear, sparking cartoons where he was depicted compassionately sparing the bear’s life. The cartoon drawings of the bear were the start of the many famous cartoon bears, such as Winnie the Pooh or Smokey the Bear. These characters grew to be icons and key symbols in culture. The cartoons also inspired a couple who owned a novelty store to make toy bears to “celebrate the president’s act” of compassion toward the bear. The hunting trip was in 1902, and 12000 toy bears had been made in 1903. “In 1907, it made 974,000, and all sorts of copycats rushed into the teddy bear business. Suddenly a large and potentially dangerous animals, respected in the wild, had become a cuddly pillow toy” (Sterba, 168).

The image above shows one of the first bears named ‘Teddy’ to be sold, and it is amazing to see it still in perfect condition. This just shows how important the teddy has been throughout history. The year 2002 marked the 100th anniversary of the cartoons, and so this teddy was part of the National Museum of American History’s political history collection and their The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden exhibit. It is incredible to think that the idyllic, cuddly teddy bear has been a part of our culture for over 100 years by now. This makes me wonder about people like Tim Treadwell who romanticize and idealize wild, unpredictable creatures as friendly and approachable, and how culture has perpetuated this symbol through the years. The teddy bear is presented from a young age and known to be a great and cuddly thing, so how might that affect people’s perceptions of nature and the place of people in it? Does this further separate humans from nature, when people focus on a manufactured, cute image rather than the real thing? Do wild animals somehow seem less wild, or does this mean the shock of encountering one would be even greater? If we don’t properly understand nature and the creatures within it, then it may be difficult to conserve or preserve it.

http://americanhistory.si.edu/press/fact-sheets/teddy-bear

“For some people, these stay-put geese, estimated at 4 million, are just as majestic as the ones that migrate. From a distance, a flock of geese on a corporate lawn or a golf course fairway give man-made landscapes a more natural look. But majestic isn’t a word that leaps to mind for many people who live close to local birds. To them the geese have lost their wild elegance. They have become web-footed vagrants. Some people call them “lawn carp”” (Sterba, 122). 

This passage describes the idea behind the title ‘lawn carp’ and the perspective of people living with them. People feel disconnected from nature and the animals in it. When people are not properly informed on a particular issue, even one that has direct effects close to home, people cannot form an educated opinion on the issue and how to approach it.

“Progoose and antigoose people argue about fecal output… One oft-quoted claim is that one goose can produce 1.5 pounds (dry weight) of feces per day. That means one hundred geese would daily produce 150 pounds of feces. This has been called a gross exaggeration. Ask people who live or work around geese how much excrement geese produce, however, and most say, ‘Too much!'” (Sterba, 123). 

Again, this passage indicates the lack of awareness in people who don’t know the facts and only state loudly that a problem exists. However, this does nothing to actually go about solving the issue. This passage also raises particular concerns for those willing to look beyond the gross idea of so much feces. Fecal coliform in drinking or swimming water presents concerns of E. Coli and other nasty diseases. Decreased water quality also causes algal blooms and oxygen deprivation, or eutrophication. Although many remain uninformed, there are large implications of the geese problem, fueling the battle between the antigoose and progoose factions. The mention of coliform and eutrophication reminded me of my ongoing environmental poster project, in which my group is exploring the relationships between riparian buffers, water quality, and human health. We discuss these two problems in our project, but we also discuss how riparian buffers (vegetated areas between terrestrial and aquatic zones) are proven to mitigate the effects in water. Riparian buffer development might then be another worthwhile endeavor in relation to the geese problem discussed by Sterba.