Insincere Intentions - assignment 4/22

Earth Day Observances was not a very enjoyable essay to read. I believe the reason for this was because of the way the story was told. It was more of a report than an entertaining story. None the less, Joseph Lelyveld brought up some controversial issues. I agree that politicians’ only interest in saving the Earth is to only benefit their self-image and to increase their popularity. By reading the preface, it seems that this political pressure has actually helped pass more environmentally friendly laws. Putting this pressure on law makers to support environmental issues may be the best way to preserve the Earth.

The Mystery of Flight - assignment 4/20

As I read through Jack Turner’s, The Song of the White Pelican, I was surprised to be fascinated by pelicans. Turner obviously had researched and studied these animals for quite some time. The little facts about pelicans kept the story moving and gave it its flow. Relating the pelican to other animals like the sea gull made it easier to comprehend the story. I found it interesting to read about biologists’ view on whether animals could possess human-like emotions or not. I believe that, although we are more advanced than animals, sometimes we are more similar than you might think. Just because we classify some feelings as “human-like” emotions, does not mean that animals do not have any emotions similar to ours.

Calling for Awareness of Nature- assignment 4/13

Aldo Leopold brought up some controversial issues such as soil conservation in, A Sand County Almanac. I did not care for the way he explained the issues. He heavily supported only one side of the issues and did not give much for suggestions on how to resolve the issues. The essay had a hard time catching my attention because of this lack of argument. I believe if Leopold would have debated the issues more, the essay would have been more exciting to read.

first paragraph of personal essay 3/28

I opened the door and stepped over the threshold of my new home, taking in the scenery before me. The smell of autumn was in the air with a gorgeous variety of leaves, which had just begun to fall, coloring everything I could see. Where do you go on your first run in a new city, a new home? “Let’s try heading north,” I thought as my feet started my exploration of Ames.

Finding Life Naturally - assignment 3/23

I found Buffalo for the Broken Heart very intriguing to read. Dan O’Brien did a fantastic job of telling the beginning of the story and to fill the reader in with all the important details. At first, his style of telling the story can be hard to follow. He seemed to jump around a lot, but as I read it came apparent that every piece of his story would fit together perfectly by the end of the chapter. It was very interesting to learn about the Great Plains’ history of the buffalo. I did not know buffalo had such an impact in shaping the prairies. Through natural selection and evolution, the buffalo in effect dictated the growth of the plains. Another aspect of O’Brien’s writing I liked was how he would say something that had a deeper meaning. An example of this was, “I liked where I’d found myself and didn’t want to fall back through the looking glass.” Statements like this evoke his readers to think beyond the face value of his writing.

Rebuiding a Loss of Nature - assignment 3/9

I really liked Medell Berry’s The Making of a Marginal Farm because I felt I could relate to the story and it was somewhat inspiring to read about what someone can accomplish with a lot of hard work. I lived on a farm and know that in farming, the most successful farmers are usually the ones who work the hardest. It is amazing that Berry and his wife were able to transform practically worthless land into decent farming land. It goes to show that hard work is often well rewarded. I think another point Berry was trying to make in his essay was how people need to take care of the land or it deteriorate to nothing. If we ruin the land, it will be nearly impossible to rebuild it back to its original quality like Berry did. It would be much easier to take the steps to preserve the land now.

Stomping Out Society - assignment 3/9

Gary Snyder’s, Smokey the Bear Sutra, has quite a different tone compared to the other excerpts in the book. His tone is very demanding and he does not leave room for anyone to argue against him. I did not care for this excerpt because I felt he was telling me what to believe and I could not relax and enjoy the reading. I especially did not like the line, “…the countless men oppressed by a civilization that claims to save but only destroys.” It seems like Snyder is implying that civilization is completely evil. I know that society has had some negative effects on nature, but I believe that in general society is a good thing. Snyder only comments on the bad things civilization has done and does not say anything about the good.

My First Summer in the Sierra - rhetorical analysis first paragraph

The idea of preserving land for the enjoyment of the public was a relatively new one of the late 1800’s. On October 1st, 1890, the glacier carved valley full of elegant waterfalls and wildlife known as Yosemite, was designated as the United States’ third National Park. Thousands of visitors have tried to capture Yosemite’s natural beauty, but no one has been able to describe it in words like John Muir. In 1911, John Muir published My First Summer in the Sierra, a journal kept by Muir as he explored parts of Yosemite and the Sierra Mountains located in California and Nevada. In his journal, Muir explicitly describes every detail of the scenery and his experiences. His writing allures his readers to climb the mountainside with him and to image the soft breeze as it sweeps through the valley. My First Summer in the Sierra intended to capture Muir’s readers with the beauty of nature and to make them realize the need to preserve it. By drawing attention to the beauty of nature, John Muir was able to help in the conservation movement.

Inevitable Contamination - assignment 3/4

Sandra Steingraber's, Having Faith, draws attention to an very few are willing to face; the effect of toxins used by humans. Many people have discussed the effects of chemicals on humans, but I have never thought of the fact that infants are affected the most. I found the facts Steingraber provided about the toxins in breast milk both very interesting and alarming. Indeed, something needs to be done about this problem. I agree with Steingraber that finding a solution to this is nearly impossible. Chemicals are vital for farmers to produce a good, profit-making crop. With so many chemicals being used by humans, it is improbable to try to eliminate them from our diet. Right now, the only choice we have is to try to reduce our emissions of these toxic chemicals into the environment.

Our Impact on Nature - assignment 3/2/10

Rachel Carson's essay, Silent Spring, reminds us the fact that humans have a great impact upon the Earth and nature. She sets the story up well and backs her beliefs with good facts and experiments supporting her side. I am slightly torn on this issue. I grew up on a farm and know that pesticides are vital to growing a good crop. On the other hand, humans have been neglectful of the environment and how we affect it. I believe it is essential to find a balance so that we can make produce efficiently but preserve the environment by doing more experiments with new chemicals before they are commercially used. Chemicals can done be banned or farmers would have a very hard time making a living and this would affect the prices in other markets too much.

Friends of Nature - assignment 2/25

John Muir's, My First Summer in the Sierra, is a descriptive piece of writing that is unmatched compared to any other excerpt in this book. His words painted scenes and he gave every detail so anyone could visualize his story. The way he told his experiences of the animals he met made me feel like I was right there with him, watching the scene unfold. I was quite surprised in how different My First Summer in the Sierra was compared to A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf. To me, the style of the two writings contrasted in their descriptiveness and the way the story was told. I was amazed that both were written by the same author. These stories might have been written during different periods of Muir's life.

The Rulers of the Earth - assignment 2/25

It was very interesting to read John Muir's religious views on human superiority. Although his writing was hard to follow, he clearly emphasized how humans believe that anything it can't conquer is considered evil. He made a point that it is important to realize when God created everything, everything was created equal. We should not despise creatures or places just because they can hurt or kill us. I fully believe Muir's views and I think we should take them into consideration.

Campaign for the Parks

Wendell Berry's essay, "Preserving Wildness", makes a very good point in revealing the flaws of national parks. His writing captures the readers because of the way he is able to describe his ideas as tangible things. Some of his metaphors are amusing to say the least and the list of ideas he makes in his writing gets straight to the point and does not distract the reader from the focus of the story. I enjoyed reading Berry's point of view on change for national parks.

The Indian Way - assignment 2/18

"A First American Views His Land", tells about the history of our land. The structure of the story is different than most. About every 2 pages, a poem consisting of one or two word lines is inserted. I honestly do not understand the impact the poems are supposed to provide on the reader. I liked how the beginning explains human's changing views of the land and its uses. I find it interesting how Native Americans find a hard time comprehending the fact that we put ownership on land. I admire the way Native Americans view the land because I don't think any of us could feel as connected to it as they are.

Living a New Life - assignment 2/16

It is clear that Henry David Thoreau has an unique writing style. He does an excellent job describing his experience of building a cabin and living in the woods. Much like "Into the Wild", Thoreau explains how being immersed in nature can purify the mind. I didn't care for his way structuring sentences. They seemed to be run on sentences and this made it hard to follow and comprehend his story. Despite his style of writing, everyone should be able to take something from Thoreau's works.

The Storm part 2 - assignment 1/28

I was very moved by the poems in the last half of Blood Dazzler. Patricia Smith goes into some deep subjects in her poems. I was surprised to read about death and religion in her poems. Her style of writing really sets the mood also. The way she ordered the lines, the use and repetition of words, and way the words played with each other really added to the effect the poems had on me. I found it interesting how she wrote poems about Katrina's "family". I also like how all the poems created different perspectives of hurricane Katrina.

Another Find - assignment 1/26 part 3

Seven miles from my hut, I stand at the edge of the land, breathing in the air coming off the ocean. A nice walk along the shoreline has become a weekly habit of mine. With my shoes and socks off, the sand gushes between my toes. Washed up from the tide, the most peculiar shell lay in the sand alone before me. "Another one to add to my collection," I thought as I stooped to pick it up and began my journey home.

The Simple Things in Life - assignment 1/26 part 2

On a late summer night, the forest echoed with laughter. "Camping for Boy Scouts was the best," my friend Brent exclaimed, wiping the beads of sweat off his forehead. "And no matter what, we are always could get a fire going," I added, watching the flames dance within our own fire pit. A summer's night spent gathered with friends is always a night well spent I thought, as I heard a coyote howl in the agreement.

Racing Through the Woods - assignment 1/26 part 1

"Pat, pat, pat," my feet say as I run along the trail in the woods, taking care to navigate between the trees and leap over the roots as I go. The trail takes a turn towards the creek. Fish swim in the water as a beaver scurries away. Whoa! A doe dashes out in front of me, daring me to race her. Another day, another race.

The Storm - assignment 1/26

I thought reading about hurricane Katrina would be slightly boring to read. Patricia Smith does an excellent job of mixing in different views of the hurricane's story. I liked how she used personification for a few of the view points. She made the hurricane sound like an actual person and it was interesting to hear its own story. I did not care for some of the language she used. Some of it helped shape the story, especially the multiple use of some of the same words, but I felt she could have used more descriptive, less vulgar language in some parts.

A History of Wolves - assignment 1/21

Rick Bass had a unique style in writing this story. Especially at the beginning, he was very graphic and blunt about the story. Whatever he said was straight to the point, making the story fairly easy to understand and follow along with. I liked how he told the story, but i believe he got a little carried away with the wolves. Even though i know the essay is about wolves, he just seemed a little too head strong with them. Bass seemed very knowledgeable of wolves and their habits. The facts and experiences he threw into the story made it a lot richer in detail and more fun to read.

The Consequences of Our Actions- assignment 1/21

It is easy to see that Terry Tempest Williams is very passionate about her family and how her community has been affected by nuclear ffallout. Her story is very moving in the way she justifies her beliefs on nuclear testing. It's really sad that so many people had to deal with the after effects of nuclear testing and that, at the time, the government wasn't willing to compensate for damages. I believe that the government should compensate for the families affected. It's a tough issue to say that the nuclear testing was unnecessary though. It was hard to know what to do during the Cold War, with everyone being scared of what might happen. I don't blame the U.S. for doing the testing but it's a shame that families are developing cancer and that the U.S. government seems to not care.

A Friendly Encounter- assignment 1/21 description of hut

Walking through the fog in the forest, you see an outline of a hill amongst the trees. As you advance towards the hill, it begins to resemble a hut. This hut, crafted from branches held together by tied vines and bark resembling shingles, gives off a scent of vanilla and cinnamon along with the salt of the ocean. Curiosity arising within you, you take a look inside the cabin. Pictures of people smiling, boxes of Jeff's pizza, even a piano are a few of the things you notice inside the cabin. It seems quite calm here. Suddenly, you hear someone running up to the cabin, short of breath. With a bewildered look on your face, a stranger walks in smiling and asks, "Hey, how you doing?"

Times of Old - assignment 1-19 photo

With steam spewing from the engine, this place existed as a home for travel. The place busted with passengers, wishing to visit family or enjoy the view of the country side. These trains not only carried passengers but also business. It turned into the most effecient way to deliver the town's export, clay tile made from the hills outside of town. All the farmers asked for Rockford's famous tile for their fields. This place resided as the hub of the town. Now, grass has grown around it. A new set of tracks lay down, serving a new purpose of delivering corn and soybeans. The paint is chipped and faded, a landmark serving as a reminder of our history.

Exploring Home - Assignment 1/19 home place exercise

My hometown is Rockford, IA. This is a picture of the fossil beds just outside of town.

1. The picture is some kids from the school on a field trip exploring the fossil beds. I remember going to these fossil beds myself as a field trip when I was in elementary school. If I remember right, I think it was an annual trip for us. My classmates and I would always compete to see who could find the best fossil.

2. The fossil beds are very symbolic of Rockford. This place is very rare, there is only one other place like it in the U.S. I remember one time I ran into someone from Oregon visiting the place. It is one of the few places that allows someone to take fossils home. It also represents the town's history. The original purpose of digging here was for clay to make tile. Rockford was well known for the quality of tile it produced. The fossils just so happen to be there too. When clay was replaced by plastic, the plant closed down but the fossils still remain. Since then, a museum has opened near the beds and it has attracted visitors for many years.

Susceptible Nature-assignment 1/19

Before reading this passage, I didn’t know much about the Great Salt Lake. It was interesting to read about how easily it is affected by amounts of rainfall, heat, and other factors. Since the Great Salt Lake changes a lot, people and especially nature need to learn how to adapt to it. Nature isn’t always as quick to adapt as us. We take advantage of nature by exploiting it to get what we want and we don’t always consider protecting animals. Morman culture highlights how everything on the Earth is somewhat connected and that protecting animal reserves is essential to preserving the Earth.