I do agree with Kingsolver that because of nature we are able to appreciate things in life that would otherwise be forgotten. Nature allows us to feel, explore, create, relax, indulge and feel free. There is a huge connection between humans and nature. The world human nature means “is the natural qualities and ways of behavior that most people have”. Everything can be related to nature. The way we live. The elements that make up nature and our environment determines our lives. It determines the way we eat, live, behave, etc…nature surrounds us. The place we live in is ultimately a part of us and we are a part of it. Our world was created before we lived in it, at least everyone alive today. No matter what theory of evolution you believe in the elements that surrounds us where long there before we came. That’s what makes the connection so magical. We are able to use our “place” to build our lives around. What makes your “place” a place is the connection that you have with it. That thing that makes it special, or meaningful to you is what connects to two together. One thing that Kingsolver stated that resonated with me was “People need wild places. Whether or not we think we do, we do. We need to be able to taste grace and know once again that we desire it. We need to experience a landscape that is timeless, whose agenda moves at the pace of speciation and glaciers. To be surrounded by a singing, mating, howling commotion of other species, all of which love their lives as much as we do ours, and none of which could possibly care less about our economic status or our running day calendar. Wildness puts us in our place. It reminds us that our plans are small and somewhat absurd. It reminds us why, in those cases in which our plans might influence many future generations, we ought to choose carefully”. She right. With the devastating consequences of our ecological footprint we are reminded everyday that what we have here on Earth is limited.
What I got from Williams bed rock of democracy was that all of us belong to a certain landscape. This landscape is where we hold our values, memories, family roots, history, and ultimate where we feel the sense of belonging. Because of that, we are each responsible to make sure all of what’s left doesn’t get destroyed. Taking a look at what we contribute and how we can preserve.
This is a picture of a ranch. I chose a ranch because it’s apart of who I am which has lead to my values and beliefs that I now hold as an adult. I live on my grandparents ranch in New Mexico as a child. Coming from a busy city in Sacramento and moving to a ranch was a huge jump for me. The culture itself was a shock. There were no lights on the streets and no pavement on the roads. Everyone in the city knew everyone, it was like a huge family. I had the experience of raising animals and working on the ranch. The memories I made there I hold very close to my heart. As an adult when ever my heart is filling heavy or overwhelmed I think about the ranch and how hard my grandfather work to build it and the sacrifices her made for our family. It reminds me daily of how lucky I am everyday to have the opportunities that I have. I was a city dweller myself before the move and I can say that it change my perspective on life and nature. I had a bigger respect for the wild and even the way food was produced and made for commercial and non commercial produce. I was able to directly experiences the challenges workers faces working on ranches and farms and was able to gain a greater appreciation because of that. I believe that everyone experiences reflect their connections to nature, it’s not to say that one landscape allows a deeper connection then the other. They all serve a meaning and can be used to inspire those around it to take care of it.
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/human-nature
http://www.pbs.org/now/printable/transcript_smallwonder_print.html
http://wildcountryoutfitters.com/utahranch/
Hi Sierra, I really enjoyed your post. You picked out really great quotes from the texts. I especially like the Kingsolver statement that nature and other species could “care less about our economic status or our running day calendar.” I think about this a lot in terms of climate change and environmental destruction. The rate we are exploiting the planet under capitalism is unsustainable, and nature doesn’t care about our opinions the matter or about who’s responsible – eventually (if we aren’t already there, which we arguably already are) it will come down to either abandoning this system and changing our ways or dying. As discussed last week, those doing the least to destroy our planet are implicated the most, and those doing the most will continue to do so until they too feel the consequences, or until they are forced to stop. I agree with your observation that place informs not only your opinions on nature, but on life as a whole – altering your perspective on things like food & the challenges other people face.
Hi Sierra,
Please write more about your experience on the ranch when you can in this class. I can certainly see how working directly on a farm with animals can change your perspective on life. Did you find that time humbling? Do you think it gave you that “grace” that Kingsolver writes about? Did you ever have any challenging situations with animals on the ranch? Does your family still own the ranch?
I like your interpretation of William’s bedrock democracy. I would add though that he has some homework for us to do. While he writes about how the landscapes hold our dreams, memories, and history, he urges us to protect the land. He writes that we need “a participation in public life to make certain all is not destroyed under the banner of progress, expediency, or ignorance.” (Williams, 2002, p. 19). Like the ground, it’s resilient and we need to stand our ground. He urges us to protect the wilderness by mobilizing our communities. Since our patriarchal culture knows nothing but domination, there is no respect for our landscapes. Until we have respect we need to be diligent to preserve the wilderness. Williams writes a lot about the political side of preserving the wilderness and how the government has a say the use of the land. We must then navigate our democratic system to save the environment. At least that is what I was able to grasp from the reading.
With this new insight do you think we have “home work” to do? What type of work is needed where you live?
Thanks,
Nina
Hi Sierra,
I agree and I think nature should make us feel small. It should remind us how insignificant we are compared to the wildness and unknown of nature. If we stop to take in the nature around us, we can see that we are not the only thing that makes up the world. This is not our world to control, we are just temporary inhabitants in a world that was here far before us and will continue on long after we are gone. Do you think that if our society was more in touch with nature, we could live in a more co-existing society with no hierarchical structures? If nature has the power of reminding us of who we are and the insignificance of our daily struggles, then maybe it can have the same effect on our society.