Observe What?

Earth Day? In the city? Viewing Earth day for the purpose of enjoying the Earth in New York is ridiculous. That land has been paved over and destroyed; never will it be earth again. Earth day is about preserving, and unfortunately not reclaiming, something that will never happen. I’m curious how these people who live in the city their entire lives think they are more environmental than those in the country. Those living on paved earth and preach about the environment? One word; hypocrites. If you truly want to be environmental, stop the spread of cities and preserve the land by not reproducing, because that’s the only way to save the earth.

Alone Together(White Pelican)

“But what is not Other?” I love when reading these pieces, coming across new ways to think about things. This is one of them. I never thought of animal species looking at each other as different. It’s a simple concept but I always thought of relationship with wildlife involving man. I also liked the connection at the end relating humans singing at the top of the mountain and pelicans singing when way up in the air. We don’t have feathers and they don’t have fingers but we can still enjoy the simple pleasures in life. We can all indulge.

Sand County Almanac

Vivid is probably the best word to describe this piece. Leopold captures so much visual appeal in his writing style and conveys it very well. I love how I am able to see how he describes the land with such detail in a way I would never look at it myself. He is right when saying that in order for people to change their view of the land, “no important change in ethics was ever accomplished without an internal change in our intellectual emphasis, loyalties, affections, and convictions." The land is exploitable to all people and the farmers are not the only ones who view it as such. Humans have work to do if they want live within the ecosystem instead of above it.

Fecundity

I really enjoyed all the facts given in this piece, particularly the ones regarding the winter rye plant that had 6000 miles of root hair in one cubic inch of soil. That fact was mind boggling and something I had never thought so deeply about. I imaging there are many things on this planet that would amaze me but will never know everything about them. On the other hand, the detailed description is something I could do without. I wouldn’t want someone talking about me that way when all I wanted was to have some alone time with a female.

Buffalo for the Broken Heart

I really enjoyed this introduction to the story. The desolate nature that O’Brien begins sets off many emotions within me. I love the way he tells the story, how he blends into the prairie but really is out of place. He soon realizes that this lifestyle is very different from the original purpose the land was used for. He also shares how the story is cyclical and that through the history of the buffalo extermination, they are being reintroduced as a more highly prized species. I am looking forward to reading more about this ranch.

Marginal Farming

I enjoyed this piece a lot, I thought the writers intention to live “marginally” or sustainably as I read was very admirable. He did so many things and not because it was cheap or easy, but because he felt good about it. His quality of life has increase as well as the quality of land, which in my book is a good investment. It’s unfortunate, despite his efforts, that people’s actions affect his piece of land, destroying the river bottom, putting his place at risk. It’s great to see him do well not just for himself but his land; however it’s bad to see that other people’s actions will continue to erode away his dreams quite literally.

Smokey the Bear

Buddha? Smokey the Bear? While the two may have similar characteristics, this piece expresses how the two may be one in the same. However, I found many issues with the relation. Why did Buddha show up in the Jurassic period? Who was there to pass enlightenment on? T-Rex surely couldn’t receive it being just a ferocious carnivore. Also, I wasn’t a big fan as Smokey the Bear as a protector of all nature. He is an advocate against forest fires, not a total tree hugger like this piece makes him to be. I would really like to ask the author, why did Smokey show up in the 1940s and not the mid 1800’s when the industrial age began?