Personality Test

I really enjoyed the discussion on personalities in Friday's class. While I have taken this test a few times in the past, I never fully understood the meaning until this past week. Not only did it inform me of my strengths and weaknesses, but it also made me to look at my family, friends, and peers in a whole differentway. Sometimes I think I simply jump to conclusions, but as soon as I walked out of the class I started thinking, "well maybe this person is really shy, or maybe that person just likes to have a good time." I think this test also made me more aware of my own actions and methods of thinking.
There were a few instances where I disagreed with my placement, but for the most part it was accurate. I also liked Friday's class because not only did it help me get to know the people in the class a lot better, but it also gave me the chance to relate to them. I'm so glad we took the time to complete this test, because I really believe it will affect many decisions I make in the future.

Some tree stuff

The first leaf is from Norway maple, the other from Silver maple - both found around Lincoln Park. Above these is a bracket fungus - usually a sign that the tree (in this case and elm) is in trouble. The underneath of the fungus (the gills) is excellent habitat for arthropods (insects, mites etc.) - often there are dozens of species living in and on these fungi.

Nature Walk

Although I am very exhausted, I must admit the nature walk was a pretty good experience. I never really noticed all the nature the city has to offer until our walk today. I especially enjoyed the garden by Licoln Park Zoo. I mean I have been to that zoo many times, however I never took the time to walk through the garden or see the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool. While I am amazed at the amount of effort the city puts into maintaing these natural areas, I am even more astonished that they have the space to keep these sanctions. It is so refreshing to know that in even the most crowded places nature has its place.

Disconnection in Nature

As discussed in class we learned that there is a definite disconnection with the view that people today have about the link between man, civilization, wilderness, and nature. We saw that in the analysis of our class data involving pictures of nature that we are almost always separating these concepts although they are so similar. We link the ideas of the wild and nature and cast them as opposites of man and civilization. It is often times this separation that can cause so much quarreling and catastrophe.

The prospect that nature can be synonomous with civilization is not a foreign idea. Many naturalists have contemplated whether or not we could merge the two somehow. Is it really true that one can have one, but not the other? Man separates himself from nature by removing it from his domain. We see concrete instead of soil in our cities and hear the neverending pleas of conservationists to help restore what was destroyed by our influence. People have made the arguement that we have replaced nuture with our own subsitute (lawns, parks, trees along streets), but these are artificial replacements which are merely a memorial to what was once wild and created by verdant forces.

Personally I have a certain amount of sympathy for Earth's nature, however it is natural for the next species to take control and reclaim what was there before it. The degradation of Earth's nature and entropy that is present is natural itself. Perhaps it is possible to merge the wild traits of Earth's nature and the wild traits of man's nature into some harmony. As touched upon by Mr. Sullivan in Hunting Frogs on Elston, we have tried to do this by living side by side with islands of remaining nature, but this less than satisfactory to appease what nature needs and what we would like. Is there a practical answer to this dilemma?

In The Art Institute

In our trip to the Art Institute of Chicago I found much of interest. I was initially interested in the activity, the idea of the human refuge and its meaning in paintings seemed to be an oddly intriguing topic to tackle. In my first few attempts at making a meaningful analysis of art I stared at a 16th century lithograph of a rural village and some everyday activities taking place within it. There was no human refuge in this painting and no color, the combination made the piece seem very dreary and bland. The final analysis that I made was the exact opposite of this. It was a stunning large-scale landscape of a mountain in which a monument was carved of Alexander the Great. It had fantastic swirls of color and a breathtaking horizon which blended into the colossal carving. Though providing very little in terms of human refuge the awe-inspiring wilderness that was captured and the scale alone made one feel as though they had a part within the masterpiece. I feel now as though the concept of human refuge is important its role in our having a part in nature is not as major as the landscape itself and its depiction. The feeling passed on by the artist is key in my opinion to being immersed into the landscape and the nature within it.

Landscape and Memory

As I was reading this piece by Simon Schama I was sitting on my grandma's back porch overlooking the "Smoky Mountains" in North Carolina. I thought it was amazing how closely his mountain image reflected the picturesque scenery I was staring at. Never before have I ever felt so connected to a character. I must admit, even when I picked up the paper and leafed through it I thought, " This may take awhile to get through." However, I really enjoyed how easy it was to understand. I did not feel like there were too many hidden meanings, but I do believe he used his words wisely.
One of my favorite parts of Schama's piece is when he says, " For although we are accustomed to seperate nature and human perception into two realms, they are, in fact, indivisible". I especially liked this sentence because it points out the obvious, but in a whole new way. In all this piece was a very good reminder that instead of putting ourselves above nature, we need to look at ourselves in relation to nature.

An urban wildlife image I thought that you might enjoy - Racoon's at rest in rubbish - Sept 18 2005.