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.

1) Cabela’s describes nature as something for humans to dive into and get as much out of it as possible. All of their gear promotes being “rugged” and to throw yourself into the midst of nature in the most daring ways possible. It uses nature to advertise its products since it is first and foremost a store, however, it builds upon that to become a “destination.” The huge mountain display, aquarium, and deer country exhibits (just to name a few) showcase some of the trophies that can be acquired from nature. These exhibits make the store feel more like a museum and add to the appeal of the business as a whole. Cabela’s version of nature is one that is there for the taking and humans should go explore and reap the benefits.

On the flip side, Hawk Mountain had a much more reserved display of nature. Their main attraction was the actual mountain, so they did not need a fake mountain or aquarium. Compared to the almost shove it down your throat take on nature in Cabela’s, Hawk Mountain let nature speak for itself. The museum was very fact based and focused on telling the story of Hawk Mountain and how it has evolved from a place of mass killings to a sanctuary. After hiking through the mountain and perusing the visitor center, I came away with a much more authentic feeling of nature than when I left Cabela’s. At Hawk Mountain, I felt as if nature had something to give in the form of a lesson. At Cabela’s, I felt as if I was supposed to forcefully take something from nature in order to experience it.

2) A lot of the gear we saw were recognizable, however there were some which surprised me. For instance, there was dirt-like material which would attract deer for hunters to use as bait. There were also rows upon rows of computer devices for fisherman to use on their boats in order to gauge the river, the location of the fish, and god knows what else. Most of the gear I saw always seemed to be outlayed with camo. A big theme of Cabela’s seemed to be to take something and just add a camo design. This could be anything ranging from a shirt to a doormat to a sofa. They even had pink camo for women which completely ruins the point of camo, but not the fashion sense I guess. This is just one example of how one could see Cabela’s was more focused on profiting from nature as opposed to conserving it.

The chapter And No Birds Sing mirrors the relation between humans and birds at Hawk Mountain in a different setting. In both cases, a large amount of birds were killed due to the ignorance of the human population. However, the killing of raptors at Hawk Mountain was a more active sport whereas the deaths of the robins was a passive result of human actions. While there are these differences between the two, a surprising similarity is that Hawk Mountain and Silent Springs were both the result of women taking action. This is surprising because both happened over 50 years ago when women were treated much differently and usually did not play such a big role in national movements. Both have become major successes for the environmental movement since they were constructed and written.

3) Each display at Cabela’s weaved a different tale. These stories ranged from big game hunting all the way down to local deer hunting. In these spots is where I witnessed the biggest change from the normal Cabela’s feel. People here were reading and learning as opposed to handling a firearm or figuring out the next way they were going to kill a deer. Despite this, the exhibits still had the Cabela’s undertones. For example, the big game hunting exhibit had pictures of the hunters with their kills. This detracted from the educational feel of the exhibit and gave it an arrogant, bragging-like feel instead. The other thing I find funny was when people would pose in front of the dead animals for pictures as if it were a zoo. I think the exhibits were interesting because they did make an attempt to make them look as “natural” as possible, however, the surrounding vibes the store gave off completely ruined it. Cabela’s is also humongous so there were people everywhere. This contrasted strongly with Hawk Mountain which had a much smaller portion of the population.

I was surprised by the way people acted up on the North Outlook. I think this was because I am not cultured in bird watching at all and had no idea what to expect. The first thing I noticed was the number of people. To me, it seemed like the lookout was crowded despite being not a busy day. If it were a busy day, I feel as if it would be a completely different experience. The next thing I noticed was the curt, efficient way all the watchers called out each bird they located. Other than the occasional callout for a bird, the mountain was relatively silent. This atmosphere was very peaceful and would be interrupted if there were a large amount of people there. It seemed as if most of the watchers came here to just share the space with the birds in silence. There was a mutual respect for the other veteran watchers, but as a student there asking questions, I felt as if we were interrupting this environment of theirs. When Terri and I were walking around Cabela’s, we were probably taking a lot louder and more so than when we were at Hawk Mountain, but I did not feel like I was intruding on anyone at anytime.

4) The overall business model at Cabela’s was aimed at as many people as possible, but I think it only really attracts a small portion of the population. With anything from clothes to couches to aquariums, there was something for everyone in the store. A family could come and each person could have something that interested them even if they all had different viewpoints. This being said, I still think a small sliver of the population actually comes for serious business. As mentioned above, it is portrayed as a “destination.” A lot of people come just to see what all the hype is about and say they have been to a Cabela’s. My family came once just to look around and gawk at the overall excessiveness of the store. There was nothing there that we were interested in buying, we just  wanted to see what all the hype was about. Despite all of the stuff for sale there, I think only a small fraction of people actually buy things. First off, most of the gear is top of the line so it is extremely expensive. A casual shopper is not going to go to Cabela’s to get some winter clothing or is even looking to buy a paddle board. A big part of their sales is also with the various weaponry they have. This ranged from a crossbow to an antique shotgun worth $10k. Hunters may have a use for some of these, but the majority of the weapons looked like they were for show. Someone mentioned in class that someone is not going to buy a handgun to hunt deer, and you do not need a gun as expensive as a car to go hunting. This high selling point for most of the stuff at Cabela’s really displays the audience they truly are catering to.

Raptors tend to get a bad reputation when they interfere with people’s daily life. For instance, sometimes they may attack or try and kill small dogs. After incidents like this, people are going to be more inclined to think that they are dangerous and could hurt humans. Raptors and wild animals are generally thought of as separate from day to day life which is why it is always such a big deal when one appears near us. A couple days ago, there was a deer near the Conway Residence Hall and at least five people I knew had it on their Snapchat stories. Pennsylvania is known for having quite a few deer and I am sure the majority of them had seen a deer before. And yet, it seemed like such a big occasion for them that they needed to take a picture and document it for others to see. This may also have something to do with the social media world we live in, but I think it demonstrates how removed most of us are from animals and nature. It is not that humans do not like animals, in fact, many are fascinated by them. There channels like Animal Planet and programs like Shark Week which attract millions of viewers. People enjoy going to zoos and seeing all the animals there as well. In these instances, I think people admire raptors. One of the most wanted super powers is the ability to fly. Learning about how birds’ wings are designed to fly and how fast a Peregrine Falcon can dive is fascinating to people. When we compare our own skill set with raptors, we admire how deadly and efficient they are out in the wild.

5) The mental image of Cabela’s that comes to mind is one that someone mentioned in class. They witnessed some fish eating other fish in the tank and some dead fish floating at the top of the tank as well Diver Dan manhandling the catfish. The aquarium was supposed to be an educational exhibit where people can learn about different types of fish. At first glance, that is what it looks like. Then, after stepping back and really looking at the display, one could see just how negligent Cabela’s really was. Their whole store tries to give off a “nature” feel, but this one example displays how much they actually might care about nature. Even within their own exhibit, they do not really care about the animals or wildlife. I think this little detail lets one see through the huge facade that Cabela’s has erected in its store.

On the flip side, my mental image of Hawk Mountain was much more positive. When Terri and I hiked off on our own, we met an older gentleman who was along the Escarpment Trail observing the birds away from the hustle and bustle of North Lookout. We talked to him for a couple minutes before moving along on our way. It was interesting to see how even at a sanctuary like Hawk Mountain, it was still too busy for some people. He seemed just as enthusiastic as the other people we saw on North Lookout and yet he would rather be at a different spot with maybe not as good a view just to have his own privacy. Out of all the people I witnessed on Hawk Mountain, he seemed the most in tune with his surroundings and the most at peace.

Whilst exploring the various forms of the culture that surrounds nature, nearly all prevalent and discussed attitudes have been positive and relatable from my standpoint. We have talked about nature – land, sea, animals, man, skies – adoringly, admiringly, appreciatively, thankfully, respectfully, curiously, nurturingly, thoughtfully. We have lauded its beauty and lamented its ill health, and we have all shared personal anecdotes of our encounters with it as a wondrous entity worthy of our inquiry. I felt we were challenged to peer over the ideological fence into a territory most of us find foreign in our adventures on Saturday.

The day began in comfortable territory, a gravel parking lot and a welcoming trailhead. The drive up to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary had become more picturesque with each turn we took, and the trees were tall around us as we walked up to the visitor center. However, the marketability of the destination was rapidly evident by the hordes of young boy scouts, families, and teen couples milling about the ticketing desk and gift shop. As we were asked to consider, I took note of the items for sale and the audiences they seemed to target. Being a young white woman from a treehugging family, I felt as though I was probably precisely the target audience. The type of merchandise available mirrored stereotypical interests of women and families. There were earrings, greeting cards, baby onesies and stuffed animals of various woodland critters. There were also practical items like hats and books and weather gear, as well as fair trade coffee and snacks. The goods appealed to an environmentally conscious consumer with an affinity for displaying that status.

It was interesting to note that once we were on the trail and at the cliff’s edge, this merchandise was not seen. The only people I saw with “Hawk Mountain” anything stitched into their apparel were those who worked at the sanctuary. Otherwise we seemed to be surrounded by everyday people with personally unique apparel and a simple affection for large birds of prey. It was here where I felt the cultures surrounding Hawk Mountain divided. At the center and before the viewpoint, visitors were loud and excitable, actively consuming as much information and visual stimuli as possible. Upon the ledge, the atmosphere was calm , unreflective of the cutting winds that brought the beautiful birds nearer and nearer to us. There was an unspoken respect between viewers and a clearly defined language between the veteran birders, and the experience was calming and uniting despite the cold. It felt like a respectful and thoughtful interaction with a nature we all felt at one with, and the juxtaposition of the farmlands on the horizons indicated a  purposefulness in that connection.

Though Hawk Mountain certainly had a tourist-y appeal, it was forgivable compared to what we encountered next at Cabela’s. Upon entering the “World’s Foremost Outfitter” I felt bombarded with camouflage, dead animals, and guns. I had expected it to be large, I had expected it to be absurd, but I had not expected it to be so violent. Following our peaceful and honestly humbling experience with the birders and their beloved subjects on the Hawk Mountain viewpoint, it was especially jarring to be confronted with racks upon racks of weapons and hunting apparel. I now know that if there is an article of clothing to be worn in this world, it is for sale at Cabela’s in some shade of camo.

But that was to be expected, after all, it’s a hunting store in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania, land of the deer. What was most striking was the obviously intentional representation of man and nature vs. man in nature. The tendency was certainly to combine the two in a man over nature kind of sense. It would be difficult to say Cabela’s or its shoppers care not at all for the nature they consume, but the image portrayed in the big-game taxidermy and hunting trophy photos mounted on every free swath of wall was that the most important way to interact with nature was to dominate it. There is an underlying vibe of Cabela’s insistence that its consumers have the power to manipulate the nature around them, and that it is their 2nd amendment-given right to do so. The busy gun registration/check-out lines and various incarnations of guns for all ages incorporated this inclusive notion that nature is ours to take.

I am curious whether I would have felt so deeply uncomfortable at Cabela’s had we not just arrived from Hawk Mountain. I am also curious if I would have felt more or less uncomfortable had we not ended our time at Hawk Mountain with the slightly distressing Golden Eagle presentation. My main comparative takeaway between the two destinations was a curiosity about what a frequenter of one place (or similar) would think of the other. Would a Cabela’s enthusiast feel strange at Hawk Mountain? If so, for what reasons? Would they feel compelled to lower the numbers of certain kinds of raptors if they were reported in higher numbers? Would they wish there were snacks available on the trail? Or a history of the largest or otherwise most impressive birds “taken” at the sanctuary before it’s conservation designation? Likewise, would other more Hawk Mountain-y people (like I imagine much of the class would associate as) feel similarly dismissive or uncomfortable about the representation of a nature so deeply manipulated it barely mimics any kind of recognizable reality? Would either of these kinds of people walk away with a broadened perspective on whether their interpretation of the cultures of nature is best or not? I know I will pay more attention to merchandise in “outdoor” and “travel” stores from now on as well as the “information centers” of places of nature worship. I think these things have a lot more to do with our understanding of something that should be so innately ingrained in our culture than they ought to but given that we are at this point in consumer relations to “the great outdoors” I think it is most appropriate to consider how much is the right amount to control nature in our actions-violent or otherwise- and how much is the right amount to allow it to control us- as we wait for birds to fly by.

On our trip to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary I noticed a particular side of Nature, the center seemed to want its visitor to experience. The sanctuary wanted to immerse us I in Nature and let us observe some of the best that nature can offer.

Before going to Hawk Mountain we read a passage from Silent Spring, that discussed the harmful impacts of pesticides like DDT on animals besides insects, especially birds. These impacts were the result of human negligence toward the environment and brought to center stage by Rachel Carson. Similarly, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary was the result of a similar motivation by an environmentally concerned citizen. This citizen was the Sanctuaries founder, Rosalie Edge. Edge decided to purchase the 1400 acre site after discovering the thousands of hawks and other birds being shot from the sky by hunters seeking bounty or even simply for game. Carson even mentions Hawk Mountain in her book and acknowledges the significance of the work done by those who observed and tracked birds there on the site. This part of what people are attracts people to Hawk Mountain now, rather than hunting birds themselves they are there to watch them.

When I was on top of the mountain I found the scene to be much more lively than I anticipated. There were a group of ‘serious observers’ with scopes set up on tripods keeping an eye for birds. There was also a number of other employees from the Sanctuary giving us a background of Hawk Mountain and offer their own binoculars so that we might get a better view ourselves, the more casual observers.

The observers would shout out when they saw a bird in the distance, so that even the casual observers, could get a glimpse and the other trackers could I.D. the hawk. The moment that struck me the most was when one of them spotted a rare hawk, a Goshawk. Every one of the spotters stopped and went silent to watch this lone hawk glide across the sky. This is why they did it, standing out in the cold on a Saturday in late November, to get a chance to see a part of nature they find truly beautiful. This is what nature should be to those who work and visit Hawk Mountain Sanctuary.

…

Funny that when doing research on Hawk Mountain the ad next to a picture of dead hawks is for Cabela’s. 

Cabela’s obviously carried a lot different vibes than were found at Hawk Mountain. At Cabela’s it seems that nature is what man is of master of, Nature is conquered rather than something that we can observe or be a part of. To the average Cabela’s customer, it was sort of like they were selling you merchandise to help you on this quest and promoting man as the ultimate predator.

It wouldn’t be hard to create a profile of the average Cabela’s costumer; he’s probably a white male, middle-aged, probably has a wife and kids and can afford to shop for ‘competitively priced’ outdoors/hunting gear and have plenty of room to through whatever he buys in the bed of his pick-up. But Cabela’s wants this family man to bring in his family. There are very clearly distinct sections the store. While dad shops for a new gun or fishing rod, mom can take the kids to see the fish in Aquarium or the Deer County or go shopping for clothes and home-goods. Cabela’s is more of an experience than a place to go shopping. It’s why the first thing you see when you walk in is a Mountain of taxidermy. They are selling this experience and the guns, clothes, bait, furniture and food you buy are your souvenirs.

The displays themselves were rather impressive, especially the mountain. The display offered a few types of information. One was a touchscreen display, that offered a short description of the animals on display, showed a short video clip that creature in the wild and for some let you play that animals call through a speaker disguised as a rock.

The other information, visible on most of the taxidermy in the store, was the animals name and also the date it ‘taken’ and by whom. This was slightly more disarming, cause it was a reminder that everything on the hill was once a living animal now the center of a display as a trophy. This idea that nature was out there to be taken was one very clearly present in the store.

As with mentioned the mountain display, the Deer Country exhibit also displayed certain information. The hall included, I’m guessing, about 300 or so “trophy bucks” from across North America and the more prominent ones mounted on the walls with an article featuring the hunter and the bucks’ statistics. The stats, of course, were the point value assigned to the buck based on the B&C (Boone and Crockett Club) score. The scores are based on criteria like number of points on the antlers, the length of the spread and the length of points. According to the B&C website a typical record buck for Whitetails would rank somewhere in the 220 range. And though this room was seemed to highlight the hunt and glorify those who took these record bucks, it seems like it might not have been all about bagging the biggest buck but perhaps there was some conservationist promotion as well. On the way out of Buck Country was a sign overhead that read; “Ensure the beauty of the Outdoors – Support Wildlife Conservation”. This is arguably the most important sign in the store, but also probably the most widely ignored. Because I think the majority of people going to the store are not likely there to buy a gun to help contribute to conservationist efforts by hunting for the sake of population control.

There was another good quote I got out of the trip, taken from front of the biography Rosalie Edge, Rosalie Edge: Hawk of Mercy, found in the visitor center. The quote is actually the second subtitle of the book, ‘The activist who saved nature from the conservationists’. I think, in this case, the conservationists were the ones shooting hawks out of the sky about 80 years ago. These conservationists then, might have a lot in common with those leaving the Deer Country in Cabela’s, taking hawks or deer in the name of conservation or population control.