Essentially,
my groups question was: What is nature to you, and how do you experience it? In
our presentation, we read the stories of the three group members, all of whom
have a different opinion on what nature means to them, and how they experience
it. There is no right or wrong answer to this question, only perspective.
Ever
since I can remember, I have been hunting and fishing out at my Dads farm. The
first time I shot a gun was when I was five years old, and my first kill
followed shortly after. The farm is out near Kensington Minnesota, just a
thirty minute drive from Alexandria. The property itself is quiet rural, with a
river, two new ponds and an abundance of wildlife ranging from waterfowl to
larger mammals. For me, the farm is the definition of nature. What I have found
in this project, and through conversations with my fellow classmates, is that
my relationship to nature is not at all like theirs. To some, hunting and
fishing is considered barbaric and unnecessary, they simply cannot understand
the lifestyle. Therefore, to many, I am considered an enemy of nature. However,
this could not be further from the truth. I do not live to pull the trigger,
but I live in a way that respects and enhances the future of the nature I use. My
stories have an underlying theme of respect for the nature. I consider this my
greatest contribution to this final group project. So many people that I know
fail to realize the admiration hunters like me really have for the natural
world. Perhaps my stories will show them the true lifestyle behind my
perception of nature.
I read an article in the Star Tribune Newspaper
about the surge in sales of ammunition and hunting licenses. What many people don’t
understand is that the very animals that are being hunted are also being saved
by the same hunters. Money from hunting licenses and the sale of ammunition
goes directly to funding my kind of nature; expanding duck breeding grounds,
planting trees for turkeys to roost in and deer to browse under and much more. My second strongest connection to nature is
through the purchase of items that fund wildlife conservation.
It’s
pretty incredible how hunters like me, have brought species back from the brink
of extinction. Wood ducks used to be so rare in the 1950’s that if one was
killed, there would be a newspaper article on the entire story. Now, thanks to
hunters who care about the future of nature like me, the species is almost as
abundant as the mallard.
While
some see my relationship with nature as barbaric or even evil, they simply do
not understand the true connection I have with nature. If I were to close my
eyes and think of nature, the river on my farm would appear, the deer, turkeys
and pheasants would be right there as well. My view of nature is neither right
nor wrong, it is just mine.
Overall,
I would say my role in this project was one of a moderator, who collected all
the ideas and sorted them into a plan. No annotations were done because it didn’t
really fit our project.
One
thing I would have changed would be to request that the instructions be clearer
sooner.
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