Aesthetics (Hailey Hill)

     In my writing seminar, we discussed the reasons people want to protect the environment, typically due to some sort of adoration and appreciation of the outdoors or specific environments. Dr. Burke explained it phenomenally, "I'm the oyster guy, I work with oysters, scallops, and clams, and that's my area of expertise, and not that I don't love what I specialize in, but typically if someone specializes in something, it's due to the other variables that rely on said specialty. For example, Dr. Thompson specializes in minnows, but she probably loves minnows; it's not about the minnows, but the impact of that species on the surrounding environment. For me, it's about the organisms that rely on the oysters and how crucial the oysters are to the ecosystems." 

    Typically, this adoration and appreciation for the environment can stem from many different things: a strong connection to the outdoors as a child, or even just a familial tie to the landscape around you, and a willingness to attempt to preserve it. Typically, the idea to protect the environment comes from this adoration of the nature aesthetic. 

    As a kid, I always loved the "weirder" organisms like amphibians, reptiles, and fungi--one of my first pets was a Pacman frog, and even now I have another Pacman frog. To others, having a pet frog is abnormal, for a pet. Back to the idea of aesthetics and opinions in relation to the environment, everything people can say is about perspective unless it can be supported by fact. The challenging thing about environmental issues and concerns is how closely they can tie to other areas like social and cultural issues, which can sometimes seep into opinionated territory. I say my frog is cute, but that is probably different from the opinion of the girl who lived in my neighborhood I used to chase around with frogs. 

    In the realm of aesthetics, personal perspectives and cultural values play a significant role in shaping environmental efforts and conservation. As an Indigenous person working with tribal government on these issues, I find it difficult to separate cultural concerns from ecological ones. From this perspective, one could argue that conservation is often framed as an aesthetic project—driven more by a desire to preserve a certain image or ideal—rather than as a genuine commitment to restoring and protecting the environment.

Also, that is a photo of my current Pacman frog named Megatron "Destroyer of Worlds" Beryl Hill, who just goes by Beryl (after Beryllium, of course).

Comments

  1. JusticeSeptember 25, 2025 at 8:25 PM

    I love Pac-Man frogs I used to have some, but I've also had Colorado river toads and firebellied frogs. Amphibians are the best.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kip Redick Example of a Student's Choosing

  This is an example of a topic of the student's choosing.   During the summer of 2022, I attended an environmental encounters trip to Iceland with Dr. Kip Redick, Dr. Joe Balay, and 14 other students. It was a two week trip, but those short two weeks completely changed my life. I learned about more things than I thought was possible in 14 days, and I've never been more interested in learning before. It completely opened my eyes to a whole new perspective, on how the world should live, and what the environment should look like. Everyone was so kind, and they are the most environmental conservative countries.  While there, we did many different activities, including hiking on a glacier. It was so fun, but exhausting and kind of sad at the same time. It was obvious to see how much the glacier have had melted in the past years due to global warming, as there was a large glacial lake at the bottom with melted ice, and the glacier was all rock and sediment before w...
Read more

Kip Redick Example of an Outside Reading Post

 Recently I decided to give the renowned masterpiece by Jon Krakauer known as Into the Wild  another read. Needless to say I was just as heartbroken as the first time I read this novel/watched the 2007 film. I felt the need to discuss the work here simply because I feel it relates to a lot of discussions we have been having in class. I mean think about it, a young man sets out across the country to explore creation as it was intended to be experienced. As the story progresses, I remember being left with a sense of wonder, even thinking things along the lines of "I wonder would what happen if I just decided to do this one day?" I feel it's common knowledge how this story ends by now, with the main protagonist passing away alone in the wilderness, no one around for miles due to accidentally ingesting a poisonous plant. Although I have previously discussed how nature is God's most pure creation and should be treated as such, I feel I need to address a differ...
Read more

Kip Redick Student's Free Choice Example

  Here is an example which would be a free choice entry.    Since last semester, I have been on e-board for the Green Team at CNU. I am the sustainability and research chair and my role is to make campus more green and sustainability which is challenging because CNU tends to be stubborn and not want to change. Although I have been struggling to do my job and change things, I have gotten so much insight from the other Green Team members because we come from different customs and view points. We have bonded over our love for the environment and our need to change. We have our own rituals were we try to connect with nature through meditation, yoga, and reciting poems and sharing ideas. We have a big/little system called Oaks and Acorns in order for new members to know how the group works and become close to each other. Green Team is not dominated by one class, one religion, or one race. That is why I love this organization so much. We are all accepted and brought...
Read more