Question 7

Many ideas flowed through my head when I began writing my answer for question 1 for this week's blog post. Throughout my life, I've had many awesome experiences with nature that has given me the environmental perspective I have today. I thought of going to Niagra Falls with my family and witnessing the raw power of nature, or going camping with family as a young kid, or even the thrill of whitewater rafting. But the moment I chose in the end was a much a simpler one. It's not a single moment per say, rather a recurring event that happens time to time. On the small trail that runs behind the Berkshire Apartments, the Glover-Archibold trail, there is one spot off the beaten path where my friends and I often make a pit stop. If you venture a few steps to the left right after you cross the stream that marks the midway point of the trail, you will find a massive tree trunk that has fallen across the creek. It carefully lays about 20-30 feet above the ground. We pull ourselves up by the massive roots, get on top of the log and carefully walk, one foot in front of the other, across the log. Despite doing it dozens of times now, the thrill is never lost. But once you find your seat on the other side of the tree trunk, an incredible calm washes over you. Even as you long down at the 20 foot drop below you, you can't help but feel completely at peace with yourself and the world around you. Sometimes we will sit in near silence, picking up on all of the sounds emitting from the woods: birds, bugs, distant traffic. Maybe we'll light up a cigarette and converse about what we learned in class or trade jokes. But this is about as close as I feel to nature during my time here at school. But the trail has become a huge part of my life, I take it every chance I get. Because its so easy to get caught up in the busy pace of city life., you need take breaks often. And sitting out on the log, the sun beating down on my face, bugs swarming around, the soft babble of the creek below, I couldn't feel more at peace.

Why is it so important to save nature? Putting all decidedly scientific arguments to the side for a second (e.g. destroying nature will cause our demise), the environment around us is the truest and purest source of beauty and wonder. As I said before, since I was a child, I was brought up to have an appreciation for natural beauty. 20 years in and I can't say I have found anything man-made that rivals the sheer power of Niagra Falls or the Grand Canyon. For me, it doesn't even take a natural wonder to appreciate the natural world. Even just a walk through the woods works wonders for me. Many of the reasons why I believe nature should be saved are nearly impossible to put into words. But I sincerely believe that if we are not in harmony with nature, we are not in harmony with ourselves. The natural world precedes us by millions of years. Humans function best when working in and with the natural systems that we have come to take for granted. Not only does the purest form of beauty exist within nature, but also our technology and way of approaching things is often done in imitation of nature. In short, I have always felt a very strong to all things natural. I think that the harmonious feeling I associate with being in nature is one that is almost spiritual. I am wary to acknowledge the presence of any 'higher power,' but the natural flow of things has always appealed to me as the strongest evidence of something larger at play. These intricate systems we live within have provided us with some of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring forms of life, and without that biodiversity, our context of humanity would be lost.