aliyahgrant-blog

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Blog #4

For this week’s class we took a trip to Minyon Falls. When we first got to the falls the class went to the lookout point. We were all stunned to see that the waterfall was completely dried out. Although I was told there was a likely chance there wouldn’t be enough water to swim, seeing a completely dried out waterfall really solidified the harsh consequences of climate change to me. After soaking in this shocking news, our class class discussed how the climate emergency allows for certain types of plants to prosper, but at the harm of other living things. We specifically talked about how Eucalyptus plants, who are extremely flammable, prompt larger forest fires because of their oily composition. The increasing amount of droughts and forest fires in the area allows for Eucalyptus plants to use the nutrient-rich ash to prosper. In doing so, it allows for more eucalyptus plants to grow in a certain area, but it lessens the amount of biodiversity. It was also interesting to see how visible different types of trees are from above the forest. This allowed us to observe which parts of the forest were temperate and which were more tropical. I also thought it was interesting to find out that more palm trees in a certain area usually indicated more water. Although I knew this was true because palm trees are more available in tropical areas, it was fascinating to see palm trees surrounded by trees that kind of look like pine. This is because my home in the states is surrounded by pine trees, and it would be interesting to see a random palm tree in the area.  It was also interesting to see the durability of some plants, such as the plant that was used by aboriginal peoples as spears, is able to grow despite having a burned stem. 

Throughout our hike I kept thinking about how many direct encounters with climate change we’ve faced this semester. The original spot for our camping trip was consumed by forest fires in winter and our swim at Minyon falls was cancelled because of the drought. Being in the pacific really puts things in perspective for me because where I am from in the states the most noticeable change because of the climate emergency is warmer temperatures. This theme is explored by Vandana Shivas (2000). It’s explained how northern countries, such as the United States, export their waste to third world countries because it’s expensive to sustainably deal with it in their home country (Shiva, 2000, p.116). Because of this, a separation between their trash and how it exasperates the climate emergency is formed. This results in northern countries being less likely to advocate for climate change because it seems like a far removed issue that is to be dealt with in the future. Many of my friends back at home feel this way; they care about climate change but not enough to advocate for change. Sadly, the countries that contribute to climate change the least get hit the worst. Although in Australia’s case it’s quite flipped, just being in this region is enough for me to realize how destructive climate change is. Studying pacific islands in our Political Economy and Ecology class allowed me to see the strides pacific islands are making in order to help their situation, but the main offenders of this climate crisis, like my home country of the United States, need to be held accountable.

V. Shiva. (2000). The World On Edge. London. pp. 112-129. 

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Week #3

This weekend the class had a 4 day long camping trip in Yuraygir National Park. I had some anxieties about the trip; I’ve never camped before. Once we reached the entrance of the national park it really hit me that we were going to be stuck here for 4 days, seeing as the dirt road to the actual campsite was long and there were no signs of civilization. Once we arrived at the campsite I felt calm because I was surrounded by people who knew what they were doing. As soon as our feet hit the dirt, Soenke, Nigel, and the rest of the group assumed formation and were ready to unpack. By not giving me time to digest what was happening, it actually forced me to not overstress and to deal solely with the task at hand. 

It wasn't until night that my worries caught up with me. Being in the dark, while outside, seemed to be the scariest part of the trip. I think the idea of being vulnerable in my sleep and not really having protection from outside forces really spooked me. Despite this, I fell asleep. However, it did take me a long time because my allergies were giving me congestion. I also felt bad for Jackie, my tentmate, because I had to breathe obnoxiously loud in order to feel comfortable.

The campsites location was one of my favorite parts of the trip. I found it interesting to see the different types of climates by the beach. Part of the area looked like a North American forest (what I'm used to seeing at home) while other parts looked like a rainforest. The variety in trees, plants, and animals made me appreciate the area that we were in because it showed the potential of diversity in nature if we as humans actually cared. Seeing animals such as the Kookaburra particularly emphasized this concept because at home in Staten Island the most exotic animal you would see would be a pigeon. By hosting a multitude of animals, the campsite almost makes you feel as if you’re living on undisturbed land. 

I was thoroughly enjoying the camping trip (much to my surprise) until Saturday reached. On Saturday we took a hike in Dorrigo National Park. I wanted to go in with an open mind, especially since I thought it was so cool that we were walking in an original rainforest from Gondwana. I found the first part of the walk interesting, because I learned about so many plants for the first time. I thought the strangler figs were interesting because I never heard of a plant that had the capacity to consume control of a whole tree. Strangler figs also choose which trees to kill carefully, so that there will be more trees to attack in the future. This captivated me because humans, like strangler figs, are seen as destructive and suffocating in our practices that are deemed “necessary” for survival. However, Strangler figs are strategic in their behavior by having “self control” in targeting certain trees. They take what they need, as opposed to humans who believe having more than enough is the best policy. 

Despite seeing the beauty in our hike, my body refused to let me have too good of a time. My allergies started to act up, and because of my stuffy nose it was hard to breathe. I already have a hard time physically with the hikes we do in class, so not being able to breathe aggravated everything. Because of this, I stopped truly paying attention to our surroundings and focused solely on not passing out. I also felt pressure, because I felt as if I had to keep up with the group. Despite knowing that I’m not as experienced in hiking as the others, I still felt I had an expectation to be not too far behind. A culmination of this feeling, and not being able to breathe well, caused me to turn my focus more inwardly instead of towards our location. 

This trip made me contemplate one of the themes discussed in Deborah Bird Rose’s book, Reports from a Wild Country: Ethics for Decolonization. In her book she discusses the 3 types of human assistance in allowing nature to show signs of resilience. The third type, resilience facilitation, intrigued me the most, “...resilience facilitation, involves observing Nature’s own processes and then working to facilitate the conditions under which Nature’s resilience can flourish. This could mean leaving the place alone, or it could mean some form of active engagement with the place” (Rose, 2004, p. 48). Growing up in the western world I was always taught that nature and humanity were separate, and therefore minimal contact was best. Growing up in a large city also stressed this because there weren't many opportunities for me to interact with nature. This is why concepts such as camping were so wild for me; Camping involves a direct involvement with nature. Although we didn’t hunt for our own food, or build our tents with leaves and sticks, solely sleeping without the confines of man made walls was enough interaction with nature to make me uncomfortable. 

Because of this perspective, I initially thought all national parks were good, because they allowed nature to be segregated from the destructive ways of humans. National parks have proved successful in some cases, but in others it also forces a detachment from the land that has been cared for centuries. This case is particularly shown in Australia, seeing as some national parks exist without allowing indigenous people, the ones who have kept the land for centuries, the right to operate on the land. They’ve been the ones to upkeep it for centuries, so I think it’s confusing to believe the land would be better without them there to continue to upkeep it. As a Westerner I still believe that myself wouldn’t be the best candidate for the job because I didn’t grow up having a close connection with nature, but I also see how this viewpoint is detrimental in allowing me to ever develop a close connection. Instead of realizing that I could achieve comfort in nature in my daily life, camping made me think of how beautiful nature can be if humans (westerners) didn’t mess it up. Even having allergies felt like a sign from nature to my body saying, “You don’t belong here!” Despite this, I feel being self aware of these thoughts is one step closer to figuring out to to alter my relationship with nature. 

Rose, Deborah Bird. (2004). Reports from a Wild Country: ethics for decolonization. Sydney:  University of New South Wales Press

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Week #2

For this week’s class we met up with Auntie Delta Kay, who guided us on a hike up to the Cape Byron lighthouse and explained her cultural ties to the land. I was less anxious this week for the hike, which I realized was ignorant. In terms of activeness, this week was BRUTAL. I was too busy trying to focus on breathing and finishing the hike that I didn’t take time to appreciate the surrounding smells and sounds. It was truly a wake up call to me about my poor stamina. When I saw people twice my age walking down the same track I was going up, instead of being inspired, I just accepted that I have the physical health of an eighty year old despite being only 18. 

Despite my realization about my terrible physical fitness, being accompanied by Auntie Delta brought a new perspective on how I feel about the town of Byron Bay. In the beginning of our hike she showed the class some plants that are used for medicinal and tactical uses. One plant that really stuck with me was the “snack plant.” Auntie Delta explained how this plant is used as a quick snack and then is converted to thread to weave baskets and bracelets. It really emphasized the notion that the Bundjalung people truly know their land because this plant would be something I would normally overlook. However, it has multiple uses for the Bundjalung people. 

Another view that completely altered my thoughts was Auntie Delta’s explanation of the significance of the Bush Turkeys to Bundjalung people. I always thought of them as kind of annoying and terrifying, but Auntie Delta explained that they were born knowing how to walk and fully feathered. Because of this, the Bundjalung people believe they are born knowing lore. Once finding this out I felt bad that I rolled my eyes every time a Bush Turkey would cross my path. It truly changed my viewpoint on how I see them. 

In Reports from a Wild Country: Ethics for Decolonization (Rose, 2004) the author explores the European viewpoint that indigenous peoples were “savages” and “wild” and turns it around to demean the colonizers. Towards the end of page 3 and beginning of page 4, Rose recounts Captain Cook's testimony about reaching Australia for the first time. In summary, he states that Aboriginals are wild and that this land is ready to be colonized by fellow europeans. Rose goes to explain that Cook is the real wild one; he broke the laws of the aboriginals, disrespected their land, and promoted cruelty (Rose, 2004, p.4). The wildness that Rose explains Cook expressed is still seen in the current Australian government and their unjust process of Native Title. It was explained by Auntie Delta that the elders showed signs of sickness due to the long grueling process needed to prove connection to the land. Factors of this was their need to tell sacred stories over and over again, which, some should only be told to other members of their families or some that should only be told to those of the same gender. The government forced the elders to break these guidelines, which replicates the same wildness Cook forced upon their ancestors. This angers me because the elders were forced into sickness in order to prove that they were on their own land. The fact that they have to prove their connection to the land despite it being common knowledge that they were in fact here first, continues to baffle me. 

Rose, Deborah Bird. (2004). Reports from a Wild Country: ethics for decolonization. Sydney:  University of New South Wales Press

[aliyahgrant-blog]

Week #1

Blog #1: What is Nature?

For this week’s class we went to Broken Head Holiday Park. Prior to class we received an email from Soenke, detailing that we would need sunscreen, a bathing suit, and a multitude of other things pertaining to safety and health. It was also stated in the email that it would be a light walk, which, instead of calming me down, peaked some anxiety within me. Growing up in an “urban” area I never engaged with “the outside” as others did. I walked to and from school and that was it. I never desired to hike for exercise. It wasn’t until I came to this school I was forced to actively engage with “the outside.” Because my peers are so engaged with being outside and being active, I’ve always lagged behind in activities such as these. This is why I was initially scared when I heard Soenke call this a light walk; his easy probably is my medium. 

Despite this prior anxiety, the hike wasn’t bad. Maybe because I had the beautiful ocean to look at, or because I had wild turkeys to keep me amused, I found myself - dare I say it- enjoying the hike? Nigel made a point to declare that we do all our walks in silence, meaning that students and faculty don’t talk unless there is something important to be said. Silence when walking usually makes me uncomfortable; when simply walking to the deli I must have a podcast or music playing in my ear so I don’t feel uneasy. However, what I typically would call silence was fiercely replaced by crashing waves and cawing birds. By not needing to worry about what my classmates or professors were thinking I was able to have blank mind, something that is not a normal occurrence for me. 

 As we walked through different terrain the scents changed dramatically. The scents emphasized the diversity of the terrain and flora because such radically different scents were able to be present in such a short distance. The walk had segments that looked like forest, rainforest, and green rolling hills. Towards the beginning of the hike I didn't particularly pick up on a scent, but as soon as we walked in a dark area I smelt fish. Soon that smell was taken over by the scent of the sea. Once we were in the areas that Soenke said “looked kinda like Germany” the scent of licorice overwhelmed me. It felt as if once I smelt fish my nose woke up, and because of that I became much more sensitive to smell. I could even smell the sunscreen of the people behind and in front of me. 

The main discussion today centered around the concept of nature and how is it defined. As a person who grew up in the western world I was taught that nature was separate from humans. Trees and animals were best to be segregated from us (humans) so that they could thrive and that nature was only there to be an escape, as if it was above being in our everyday lives. The very existence of nature retreats and national parks exemplify this. However as my time in this program continues, I’ve come to realize that nature is a relationship in which all forces, shall they be living or not, work symbiotically for survival. I feel that if we (humans) take care of our planet, our planet will take care of us. The overlooking desire to survive, which I think is present in all living things, forces me to want to recycle and stop using single use plastics, because not doing such things result in fires and floods that put my life at risk. I believe the planet will exceed the existence of humans, but I don’t want that time to come sooner because a bunch of rich men don’t want to stop being rich. Sure, we can continue to burn fossil fuels and pollute the oceans. The earth will still be there. It will look different and will be an earth where humans and many of the species that we know of won’t exist. Because of my own anxieties and the want to prolong my species, I hope this doesn’t occur in my children’s or my lifetime.

In totality, we are nature. Nature is everything, it could be ones impulsivity and one’s need to control themselves. Because of this, the term man-made has started to confuse me. Westerners like myself usually view something man made as the antonym of nature. Cities, technology, and non concrete concepts usually fall into this category. However, if I think humans are an essential part of nature, would that mean man-made things are also nature? Retracting from what I said earlier, I stated that the essential trait of survival defines nature. Man-made items and concepts are made to make the human survival process easier. As I think about this longer, I fall deeper into a pit of confusion, a pit where I’m unsure I want to uncover what’s at the bottom. Despite this, I’m grateful that a simple walk could open thoughts such as this, and hopefully throughout this semester I reach a state of comfort where I’m ok reaching the surface of that pit.