Intro to Environmental Studies Fall 2025

  The Wild Unknown Wilderness of the Mind In Dr. Redick's book, American Camino, on page 157, there is a passage about how we journey toward the holy land of our minds, a land filled with light that can open our hearts and awaken something greater than individuality. This experience is akin to what the ancients were attuned to; a harmony with the natural world. It fosters a deep appreciation and understanding that we are a part of nature, not above it. We function as a system that maintains order in the universe rather than disrupt the present systems inextricably linked to the world. On page 159, Redick writes, "Delirium is a divine release of the soul from the yoke of custom and convention." Our potential to transcend our daily lives is what makes us human. It liberates us from the confines of civilization and allows us to grasp the higher order of the universe. It frees us from the challenges of everyday life and enables us to move into the future with prosperity and l...

 The first half or so of chapter seven, Veterans, Healing and Long-Distance Hikeing discusses how long distance hikeing trips on the application trail serve as transformation periods for vertains retireing from military service. These hikeing trips serve as transformation periods from military to civilan life due to the fact they provide preticapents with clear goals, a group setting that often involves teamwork and fellowship, a routine and a clear purpose. All elements that are ingrained into military service. While at the same time providing preticpents with the solace and support they need to recover from the tramatic experiences they have endured. In addition to this Dr Riddick also explains why intentional transformation experiences like this one are necessary in the moderen context. He explains that it's due several factors with one being that moderen modes of transportation make it possible to get from the military base back to your house in a matter of a few hours and at m...

The Importance of Wetlands  https://www.nps.gov/subjects/wetlands/why.htm Throughout much of history, wetlands have been viewed as undesirable ecosystems. I assume because they are not deemed “aesthetically pleasing”. Many people avoided them, which, I agree, wetlands can be sort of creepy. This has caused many of these areas to be drained, killing or seriously harming all life forms that call this place home. If they weren’t drained, they were used as sort of a landfill. It was discovered that “ more than half of the 221 million acres of wetlands that existed in the lower 48 states in the late 1700s have been destroyed” (National Park Service). What we have since learned is that wetlands are absolutely necessary for much of life on earth.  Obviously, they are the habitat of many species (7,000) of insects, animals, and fish that struggle to live elsewhere. These ecosystems are crucial for migratory birds such as mallards. Approximately one third of threatened species in the U...

Environmental Activism  https://onlinedegrees.unr.edu/blog/environmental-activism/ Environmental activism is incredibly important, and necessary, in this day and age. Scientists have warned us for decades that the decisions, laws, and policies that we make can greatly affect the earth. We are seeing changes in weather, ecosystems, plants and animals, many of which are irreversible. Protecting our planet is a duty everyone is responsible for. “Environmental activism" is described as “the actions of individuals or groups that protect or aid the environment”. This can be anything from picking trash up from the side of the road to fighting for legislative policies that protect our planet. If we don’t do anything now, the problems we are seeing, such as catastrophic weather, will only worsen over time. Environmental activism can come in many forms and there are endless creative opportunities. The goal is: “to create a harmonious living environment that can be handed down from generatio...

Ways to be Environmentally Conscious (Even as a college student) Use a reusable water bottle! CNU has plenty of water fountains that allow you to fill up your water bottle when needed. Removing single use plastic from your lifestyle not only helps you save money, but it also helps the environment stay healthy! In 2017, 26 MILLION tons of plastic was thrown into landfills! From there, it can harm wildlife, both on land and in the ocean. Plus, reusable water bottles are way more unique and cool than a dingy plastic bottle! Repurpose old clothing! If you grew out of a t-shirt or stained a pair of sweatpants, you have so many options other than tossing them! If you can’t hand them down to relatives or friends, donate them! Try not to donate clothes in terrible condition though, it may not be helpful. If you have clothes (or bedding, or any other fabric) you could give them to shelters! If they are in terrible condition, you can repurpose them into cleaning cloths! Sponges hold an incredibl...

The Cane Toad: An invasive species The cane toad is also called the bufo toad, giant toad, or marine toad. They look quite similar to the southern toad, which is native, while the cane toad is not. They are similar in color, but the cane toad does not have crests and has large, triangular glands, while the southern toad has crests along the top of its head and has oval glands. The cane toad can also grow much larger than the southern toad, an adult can be 6-9 inches long. The southern toad appears to have more distinct coloration along its back, while the cane toad is more bland in color.  The cane toad has been introduced to Florida and is considered an endangered species. They are typically found in both urban and suburban areas as well as agricultural land. Like most other toads, they can sometimes be seen in your backyard (if you live in Florida, of course) and near small bodies of water. They also breed year round! They are native to the Amazon basin in South America and the l...

 What Does It Mean for a River to Have Rights? When you first hear someone say that a river has rights, it can sound poetic, symbolic, or maybe even a little strange. But in the world of law and ethics, rights aren’t really about whether something can think or speak—they’re about whose well-being the law is required to protect. So, what does it actually mean when a river is given legal rights? 1. The river becomes a legal person. In a practical sense, this means the river can appear in court through appointed guardians—much like how corporations have legal standing even though they’re not humans. Those guardians speak and act on the river’s behalf. 2. Harm to the river counts as harm to a rights-holder. If someone pollutes the water, drains it excessively, or destroys the surrounding habitat, the issue isn’t only whether people are hurt. The river itself is considered harmed, and that harm can be challenged in court. 3. The river’s own “interests” matter. Those interests might incl...

     In everyday life, we usually think of hope as a feeling—something that shows up when things look good and disappears when they don’t. But philosophers tend to see it differently. To them, hope isn’t just an emotion; it’s something you practice. It’s the decision to picture a future that’s worth working toward, even when the present feels heavy or uncertain.      That choice becomes incredibly important when we talk about climate change. Without some sense of hope—however small—people stop trying. It’s hard to fight for cleaner energy, stronger communities, or healthier coastlines if you’ve already convinced yourself the damage is permanent. Hope gives people a reason to stay in the fight, to believe that their actions—big or small—still matter. And at a time when climate news often feels like a relentless stream of warnings, that kind of grounded hope can be the difference between action and paralysis.      The climate crisis is huge, ...

     When Garrett Hardin wrote “The Tragedy of the Commons” back in 1968, he used a simple image to explain a big idea: a shared pasture where everyone keeps adding more animals until the grass can’t take it anymore. It was meant to be a neat little metaphor about what happens when people act in their own interest at the expense of a shared resource. But more than fifty years later, the “commons” we’re dealing with doesn’t look anything like Hardin’s quiet field. It’s bigger, messier, and shaped by the choices of nearly eight billion people going about their daily lives.      Today, the commons isn’t a pasture at all—it’s the atmosphere above us, the oceans that keep our climate steady, and the planetary systems we depend on without even thinking. And unlike Hardin’s field, you can’t just divide up the sky or rope off a section of the ocean. There’s no clean way to say, “This is your share, don’t use more than that.”      Hardin’s metaphor wa...

  While it might not seem obvious to the untrained eye. Animals and even plants have the ability to convey many messages to humans even though they don't speak our languages. One might ask how this is possible? But communication with the "other" is very possable if you can read body language, physical condition, and behavoir. For instance a dog when happy often wags it's tail, is content (when not hyper) and generally is in fairly good physical health, when a dog is being defensive or agressive it's ears will be tucked behind it's head, it's teeth will be showing and the dog will be growling. With plants it's a little more complicated due to the fact they typically don't show complex behaviors or body language like animals do. Instead plants primarily convey messages through their physical condition.  If you have ever owned a house plant you know, if the plant is droopy has yellow leaves or is droping alot of leaves it is in poor health. On the con...

  Miles Lomanno 11/24/25 Connecting to Nature in a Backyard My mom has had varying goals throughout her 50s: learn to play the bass, interview a musician, etc., but the one that I have seen her the most dedicated to is her desire to befriend a crow. My mom is interested in certain wiccan philosophies, the one most special to her being a respect for and connection to nature. She wanted to be a part of nature and give back to it, and the best way she thought to do so is to bond with a wild animal. Crows are as smart as a local wild animal can be, so a crow was the best bet. For nearly a year she left treats and shiny things for the crows, but with no avian buddy showing up. And then came Deb. Deb is not a crow. Deb does not have wings or a beak. Deb does not have the intelligence of a three year old that crows are alleged to have. Deb, in fact, does not have any sign of intelligence at all. Deb will yell when she gets stuck behind the trash can. Deb has a bushy and tattered tail. D...

  Brief description of Human Dispersion Modern humans ( Homo sapiens ) originated in Africa and began dispersing outward roughly 70,000 years ago, first reaching the Levant before moving into Asia around 60,000–50,000 years ago. As these populations expanded across Eurasia, they encountered Neanderthals ( Homo neanderthalensis ) in the Levant and Europe, resulting in limited interbreeding before Neanderthals were ultimately outcompeted and disappeared. Moving farther east across Asia, Homo sapiens encountered the Denisovans, a closely related human population especially adapted to high-altitude environments. Genetic evidence shows that Denisovans also interbred with modern humans before declining as Homo sapiens became widespread and dominant. As humans migrated northeast through Siberia, some populations entered Beringia, the land bridge that once connected Asia and North America. Archaeological and genetic evidence suggests humans reached Beringia by approximately 22,000 year...

  Cultures that have Collapsed due to Environmental Pressures Over the course of time, many civilizations once existed throughout the Amazon Basin. These societies did not build with traditional materials such as brick or stone; instead, they constructed structures primarily from mud bricks. Although sturdy, mud bricks decay relatively quickly in rainforest soils once abandoned, which caused many settlements to disappear over centuries. Most of these civilizations collapsed after exposure to diseases brought by European expeditions traveling up the Amazon River. Today, using LiDAR technology, we have finally rediscovered many of these lost settlements. In addition, researchers have identified small- to medium-sized patches of extremely fertile soil throughout the Amazon Basin. Within these areas, known as terra preta, scientists have found a mixture of natural fertilizers, including fish bones, bone char, wood ash, and other organic materials. These additives enriched the soil, m...

  The Question of the Environment In the face of unprecedented environmental challenges, the Fridays for Future movement has emerged as a beacon of hope. Led by passionate and committed youth activists, it has inspired millions worldwide to demand immediate action on the climate crisis. The movement has gained momentum through its decentralized structure, large-scale protests, social media campaigns, and acts of civil disobedience. Fridays for Future has successfully raised global awareness about the climate crisis and put immense pressure on governments and institutions to take meaningful action. Founded by Greta Thunberg, a 22-year-old Swedish environmental activist, the movement has become a household name and a symbol of hope in the fight against climate change. Thunberg developed an interest in the environment from a young age, deeply affected by images of plastic pollution in the ocean and the destruction of rainforests. As her concern for the planet grew, she became increasi...

       Today I was thinking back to Dr Riddick's son's talk about forestry, invasive species and  succesion in  the enviroment. Succesion in the enviroment refers to when " natural communities  replace or  succeed one another over time" (The U niversity of Chicago). Succesion almost  always occurs in  multiple different stages. Starting with an initial stage that usally occurs after a  disturbence of  somekind like a wildfire, tornado, or land clearing. In terrestoral ecosytems this  initial stage is  usally sometype of grassland or meadow. Then once sometime has elapsed with  minimal  distrubence the ecosystem enters into an intermedete faze. Which in  terrestoral  ecosytems  usally  entails shurbs and eventually young trees that have established themselves  but are not  yet mature. After many years without  substantial disturbence the ecosystem  transforms into ...

     Environmental aesthetics deals with how our ideas of beauty shape the way we treat the environment. People tend to value landscapes that look “picturesque,” such as forests, mountain views, or clear lakes. But ecosystems do not always look quite as neat or visually appealing. Swamps, deserts, scrublands, and prairies can also be incredibly rich ecological systems, yet they are often undervalued because they are not seen as beautiful like other landscapes are. This suggests that what we preserve may be influenced more by cultural taste than ecological importance.      This brings up an interesting ethical issue: Should we protect nature because it is useful, because it is beautiful, or because it simply has a right to exist? If we only preserve landscapes that appeal to us visually, we risk damaging the systems that are critical for biodiversity and climate stability. For example, wetlands might look messy, but they are essential for water filtration an...

     An article on the New York Times titled "Trash or Recycling? Why Plastic Keeps us Guessing"  By  Winston Choi-Schagrin and Hiroko  Tabuchi  discusses all the factors that make recycleing is so confuseing  and challenging  for so many pepole, these challenges include a complex numbering system (which  indicate  what  plastics are  recycleable or not), differing local policies when it comes to what can and can't  be  recycled and the fact that some cities and towns don't recycle at all. Additionally the article discusses  how the difficulties associted with  recycling along with other factors make recycleing  largely ineffective at  reduceing plastic pollution and the CO2 emissions that  come with makeing new plastic, and steps    consumers and goverments can take to reduce our relince on single use plastics and pressure  coperations  into makeing their product...

    The class reading  Geo Aesthetics Conference 2024 discuses how all liveing things are conected to one  another and depend on one another for some reason or another. Like how humans depend on plants for  oxygen and plants at least partly depend on humans and other animals for their carbon dioxide intake. Dr  Ridick argues that this interdependence between plants and animals is spiritual due to the fact it often  inspires those who come to notice this relationship, to become more connected to their surroundings. In  addition to this claim Dr Ridick also cautions the reader that inspiration can destroy. A good example in  the reading of inspirations ablity to destroy was when Dr Ridick hiked  the c ontinental divide trail presumbley out of an inspiration to connect with the landscape, and almost colapsed due to a lack of  oxygen in the air at the high elevations he was hiking. After finishing the reading I was left with a  que...

Used for fishing, camping, and other recreational activities, unlike most of Virginia’s recreational lakes, Lake Anna was created in the 1970s specifically to serve a power plant. While many visitors never think twice about it, the North Anna Power Station plays a major role in the environmental story of Lake Anna.      Dominion Energy  built it as a cooling reservoir for the North Anna nuclear power station. They dammed the North Anna River, flooded the surrounding land, and split the lake into two distinct zones: the "cold side," open to the public, and the "warm side," used by the power plant. Because of this unique setup, the warm side consistently runs hotter—sometimes considerably hotter—than the rest of the lake. That temperature difference has shaped everything from fish behavior to how people build homes along the shoreline.       Years ago, environmental reviews of the plant’s cooling system concluded that the thermal discharge didn...

     The roots of the tribute go back to the 1677 Treaty of Middle Plantation, which was signed after a period of conflict between Indigenous peoples and the English colonial government. Under that agreement, several tribes—including the Pamunkey and Mattaponi—were able to keep their ancestral lands in return for offering an annual tribute to the colonial governor.      Today, that tradition continues. Every year, tribal members make the trip to Richmond to present their “taxes”—usually a deer, turkey, or handcrafted items—to the Governor. It doesn’t feel like paying a bill, though. It’s a symbolic exchange that highlights the enduring, government-to-government relationship between the tribes and the Commonwealth of Virginia.      Tribal leaders often describe the tribute as a cultural touchstone. It helps keep traditions alive, honors the generations who came before, and ensures treaty rights remain part of the conversation today. For younge...

   If you are in the know when it comes to trends you have probloy herd of the word regenrative  agriculture at least once by now, but what is regenrative agriculture anyway? And why has it become all the rage in many farming and homesteading circles online? To answer these questions regenrative agriculture is a model of farming that seeks to radically transform our current industral food production system by utilizing nature based soultions in farming as opossed to the widespread convental methods of farming that often come at the cost of the enviroment, human health and animal welfare. Some popular nature based soultions that are often utlized by regenrative farmers and homesteaders is no till planting, rotational grazeing, minamal/no spray farming, the use of cover crops, and runing polturey such as domesticated ducks and guneia fowl through crop fields to eat determental pest such as slugs and japanse beetles. The implication of nature based soultions like these come ...

  Various Indigenous Agricultural Techniques that can lead to Prosperity Moray farming was more than just agriculture; it involved researching how plants would behave in different climate and temperature zones. The Moray terraces were agricultural research sites created by the Incas, allowing for a wide diversity of plants to be grown, including 3,000 different types of potatoes and 150 different types of corn (known as moray in Pre-Columbian terms). This raises the question: Were there priest-scientists similar to Gregor Mendel who understood the principles of hereditary features long before Mendel did? Or was this knowledge destroyed by the conquistadors, or perhaps they simply did not possess that depth of understanding? Additionally, other interesting farming techniques were developed by ancient indigenous peoples before European colonists seized their lands. For example, the Food Forests of North America and the fire-stick farming practiced by Aboriginal people in Australia. T...