Preface

This blog has evolved out of a semester long course work that challenged the author of the blog to read many literary topics regarding nature and to also write about given topics that parallel the readings. Selected readings included topics such as, True North by Margaret Atwood, The Way to Rainy Mountain by Scott Momaday, and Tides by Rachel Carson. Postings in this blog are responses to assignments that were given in an effort to generate reflection on experiences and topics in our own lives that relate to the readings. The postings were made within an assigned framework, but allowed for creativity and reflective thought.

As a result of my course work and studies this semester, I have gained insight into nature and environmental studies. Most importantly, I have become acutely aware of some major environmental issues and developed a sense of the complexity of the relationship between man and nature. The global problem of energy in terms of locating resources, developing synthetic energy sources, and maintaining a clean and stable environment has become more complex to me, and yet more clear to me after completing these assignments. Studying nature and reflecting on my own experiences in nature has opened my eyes and stimulated my interest regarding the future of our environment. Although I may not choose a career that leads me to directly working towards solving environmental problems, my awareness of nature and its importance to human life will make mesupportive of environmental issues and the efforts to identify, address, and resolve them.

I see my blog contributing to the larger environmental conversation that we have begun this semester by reinforcing both the awesome power of nature, and the personal experiences that each of us has with nature at various times in our lives. Although I have not spent excessive amounts of time in nature, I have had a couple of experiences that were profound in how they impacted my life. I think this is important, because I believe that there are many people who grow up and live in populated areas in the United States where there contact with nature is also very limited. However, these people, like myself, only need a few profound experiences with nature in order to appreciate its awesome power and beauty, and recognize the importance of maintaining a healthy environment. As a result, even with limited exposure to nature, individuals such as myself can become major supporters of local, national, and global efforts to protect and preserve nature and the environment.