Naturalist Essay

I chose to walk near my house at a local park for my nature walk. Behind the park there is an area where there were railroad tracks a while ago but not it is just trees and bushes. There is an entrance to the area with trees that I went through which led me onto the old railroad tracks. I walked through this area and it felt as if I wasn't any where near a city anymore. There were a lot of trees, bushes, and grass. Some parts of the area even had flowers that I had not seen before. It was also very quite in the area because it wasn't close to any main streets and not much noise from the neighborhood was heard from there. The entire walk was very peaceful and relaxing because not only did I get away from the city but there was silence which was very relaxing. When I walk around my neighborhood, which is rarely, I tend not to notice all the ways nature is involved in the environment. The main thing I notice is the houses and the cars but when you pay attention you see all the things around the house and in public areas. I like being outside in nature because it helps you relax and forget about many of the worries you might have. Usually when I go back home overseas to Montenegro I spend a lot of time "in" nature because our house is on a mountainside away from the main cities. It is very calming and relaxing, because I do things that I probably wouldn't do if I was in a big city, such as explore the outdoors. I think we all interact nature on a daily basis. Everyone breathes and trees help that greatly. We also have a small garden in our backyard and the vegetables that grow there are eaten by my family and me. I think my interaction was more closely related to Muir, because during my walk I just tried to lay back and relax while taking the beauty of nature in. It was very peaceful and the area I walked through didn't have a lot to do with the town I live in because it isn't very visible from the neighborhoods and many people don't even walk through it. Kuo's writing seems to look at the affect of nature on neighborhood's and seems to have a more scientific point of view. Both writing's work but it depends on how you look at nature while you are outdoors which helps you relate to one or the other.

My nature walk

During my nature walk I took a closer look at the nature around me. It was still in an urban setting, and little did I know that there was still a fresh, green environment surrounding me. There were no exotic plants or animals, no tall forests, but there was old trees with character. I walked down Halsted, Armitage, and Belden. When I was thinking about where I was going to take my walk I had thought of this man made lily pond that is the most relaxing, get away place in the city, and on my way I had thought that its not the nature that had intended to ponder. It was made by human hands, and the nature on the three streets I chose were mostly already there before we came in, or placed themselves. Because I do not watch the trees or nature when I walk to get some where. But I looked very closely today. When I woke up I took a good look at the huge maple which I never do. I know its there and its pretty, but its beautiful! I have never taken a second to enjoy it, and I am glad I did today. I noticed that there were a lot of trees with character and flowers that I didn't think were possible to grow in Chicago like hibiscus flowers. Im not saying that it was the first time I saw the trees outside, but it was the first time that I took it in and appreciated it. I love nature, I enjoy it no matter where I am. My room is full of it, my garden is my meditation spot, I just can not get enough of it, and its great because I'm constantly surrounded by it. I believe my walk was more of Muir's interacts because I mediated on it and I went into a state of peace. "Muir valued nature for its spiritual and transcendental qualities." (Wikipedia). The two naturalists differ, but I agree with both, because Kuo says that if there is nature in communities and neighborhoods then there will be less of a crime rate. I agree because I believe that nature is soothing and is a companion to humans. Muir believes strongly in conservation of wilderness like as he did for Yosemite Valley. They both have amazing ideas and studies and I agree with both, but I feel like my walk has more to do with Kuo's writing.

Naturalis Essay - Katie Fraser

Katie Fraser
ENV 101-102
Sept. 20 2009
Naturalist Essay

For my nature walk I chose to walk from my neighborhood, Wrigleyville, to North Avenue Beach. I walked east on Waveland to Halsted, then walked south on Halsted till North, then walked east again towards the lake.
Along my walk I was exposed to many different elements of nature. While walking through my neighborhood there was grass that lined the sidewalks as well as many trees. This continued while walking through Lincoln Park. I also passed Oz Park which is a large area of grassy fields. When at the beach I was exposed to the sand and water of the lake shore. Even while walking down the more urbanized part of Halsted I was exposed to elements like the sun and wind. Originally, I intended just to walk down to the lake from my house, which would have given me little differentiation, since there is no beach or many dilapidated buildings, so I am glad I changed my route so I could experience many different settings.
While on my walk there were a few things that significantly stood out to me, that I may have missed on any normal day. One major thing that I noticed was how much it was beginning to feel like fall. I took a greater interest in the colors of the leaves on the trees around my house and I noticed many more of them on the ground. I also noticed how early it got dark as I made my way back, and how while it was a warm day the temperature dropped drastically at dusk, which happens around fall. While at the beach, I also took note how it was still such a beautiful day to be outside, but that there was a bitter sweetness to the day as it was most likely the last beach day of the year. It was fall, as the sun didn't stay very high for very long and offered less heat while up.
I also took more notice of the drastic change that takes place on Halsted. While walking from Wrigleyville to Lincoln Park many streets are lined with trees and grass. Eventually one will run into Oz Park, which is made up of fields as well as playgrounds and baseball fields. However, after Armitage till about North Avenue, there is hardly any of this. The streets become more worn and there are significantly more buildings. These buildings also look more rugged and beat up. This remains until one hits Old Town, which is right at North Avenue. I actually passed a playground that was all on cement and thought about how different it was from the one a few blocks north at Oz Park.
While at the beach I took much more notice to the trash in the beach. While it is generally a well taken care of beach, I did find cigarette butts, beer caps, and glass in the sand. From a glance, the beach looks taken care of, but upon further inspection one can see that it isn’t. When I pass the beach I generally don’t think about the trash hidden underneath the sand, I usually just long to be lying out under the sun enjoying the last few rays of summer. I found that this remained true even when I was aware of the trash. With the trash in the sand, I still thought about how fortunate I am to live in a city that offers such beautiful lakeshore community property for its residents.
I enjoyed this walk because I generally don't think too much about the nature around me. The most prominent way I view the nature around me is in the weather. The weather affects me greatly as I use public transportation and walk places. I have a love/hate relationship with it. While I like it to be sunny and warm, I curse when it’s too hot because I get sweaty and my hair gets messy. I also dislike it when it rains, but enjoy the coolness it offers. I like when it cools down, but I always wish I could slow the coming of winter. I can say, however, that during the summer and the first few weekends that I have been back in the city, and it is beautiful outside, I often feel guilty for sitting inside. I try and make myself go for a walk or at least sit outside. This summer especially every spare minute I had would be spent outside if it were nice. Since I worked a lot and wasn’t able to be outside as much as I wanted to, I would often sit in my back yard and read if there was no other way to be outside. That way I could at least catch the last few rays before the sun set after work, or I could be outside without having to go to the beach alone. When I moved back I began to take my roommates dog for walks in order to be outside. I enjoyed being able to be outside this Saturday, when I did my walk, because I didn’t want to feel as if I was missing out on one of the last summer days.
When I actually am immersed in nature, that is go outside because I want to spend time outside, my feelings about nature don’t necessarily change, but my emotions do. I tend to be a lot more relaxed. On those gorgeous sunny days when I sit in the quad and listen to music, or take a walk, I feel like I’m the only one experiencing the moment. That the day, and the sun, are all mine. I feel as though I am savoring something special. Some moment of my life, whether it is soaking up summer vacation or just one more moment of my life in Chicago, it’s something that will stay with me, something I can be nostalgic about come fall.. I am happy and relaxed, and feel as though I am truly thinking and living rather than getting bogged down by things I feel I should be thinking about or should be doing. It is a healthy way to forget.
While I would classify my interactions with nature as more of a Muir perspective, this particular walk matched Kuo’s writings more. Kuo discusses more about the social aspect that trees and nature can bring to a community. I found this to be very true in my neighborhood. Kuo uses trees as an example of a entity that a community can revolve around. While the area I live in does have a good amount of trees for a city neighborhood, and they do play a part in the social aspect of Wrigleyville, I don’t think they created the community. I view Wrigley Field as one of the main reasons that Wrigelyville has such a strong sense of community and feeling of safety. However, because of this sense of community, trees, bushes and grass were planted, which only furthered this feeling of a “defensible place,” as Kuo says.
Since my neighborhood has nice grassy areas, many people are out on the weekends, or nice days, running or jogging. I see the sense of “casual social contact” (p4 Kuo) that Kuo talks about when people run with their dogs and others stop to pet them. There are brief interactions simply because one cannot ignore all the people around, especially during Cubs games.
Kuo also dicusses how bringing trees to neighborhoods makes residents feel like it is a shared space and they have some part in it. Thus, they want to take better care of it. I see this with Wrigely, as no one wants to be the person who vandalized the field. I also see this sense of protection that Kuo claims trees bring. He says that once the space feels communal, people often tend to be more on the lookout for strangers. I see this in my neighborhood because many people are out late at night too making it harder for strangers to do harm, and the field is constantly being monitored.
I also saw this when I was on Halsted. The area that I walked through that had very few trees, also seemed to be an area that wasn’t taken care of. The buildings seemed more run down, I mentioned the concrete park, and it was definitely an area I wouldn’t want to be in after dark.
Kuo’s writings wouldn’t generally correlate to how I view nature, as I have mentioned before. His writings were a in-depth look at other studies done about how trees impacted neighborhoods, and then a discussion on what that means for urbanized areas. This piece was more scientifically based and from a more logical place. Muir’s writings were very much from an emotional place. Muir writes with a literary style, very narrative like, where he describes vivid nature scenes and the his reactions to the world around him. He isn’t picking apart individual pieces of nature and studying the effects, like Kuo, he is exploring the grandeur of it all. Yet, both paint an equally interesting picture of the effect nature can have on human beings.

nature walk

I chose to take a forty-five minute walk around my apartment in Lincoln Park. It was an opportunity for me to familiarize myself with the new neighborhood and encounter “nature”. While I was on my walk, I passed several trees and patches of grass but nothing too spectacular. I also saw shrubbery and a small tomato garden. One apartment had a little flower garden that was filled with exotic flowers. While I was taking this walk, I noticed that there were many stores and apartments but a few number of trees. My neighborhood had a couple flower and fruit garden, but besides the few gardens in people’s yards, there were none anywhere else. The roads and sidewalks were surrounded by a couple grass patches and/or rock patches. The article really opened my eyes to urban “nature”. When I think about nature I picture fields of flowers and forest filled with trees. I imagine a serene and beautiful place. However, when I am outside “in” nature, I get a reality check. I realize that the images I have can only be seen in certain places. I also realize that nature has changed and that it is slowly but surely diminishing. In urban areas especially, the beauty of nature that I imagine in my head is very much different from what I see everyday while walking to class. I interact with nature when I run at the birds that are sitting in a bush, or when I play at a park. Nature interacts with me on a daily basis by the weather outside. Sometimes the weather will be nice and sunny and other days it’ll be dark and rainy. I also interact with nature on a daily basis when I breathe. The trees and plants create oxygen for me to breathe in and my body creates carbon dioxide for the plants when I breathe out. Nature and I interact in many ways that I don’t even know. However, there are times when I interact with nature in bad ways. An example could be when I liter or when I pick flowers. I destroy nature and prevent it from doing what it needs to do. I believe my nature walk described Kuo’s writing because he describes nature in urban areas. I have witnessed firsthand what green space can do for people. I live in Naperville, IL and both my neighbors and I have yards and we have come to be good friends. I do believe it is because of the yard and the activities our families do outside that allows for us to interact with one another. However, in my apartment in the city, there is no yard or green space, and this has prevented me from getting to know any of the neighbors. I do not talk with any of them and I have no opportunity to really interact with any of them. The walk around my neighborhood helped me to reflect on Kuo’s writing about the importance of green space. The difference between Kuo’s writing and Muir’s writing was that Kuo describes and proves the importance of green space and nature in urban areas. While Muir is writing about a beautiful scenic environment. He is telling a story, whereas, Kuo is writing a research paper on the benefits of green space. It is two different writing styles and both authors are talking about two different environments. However, they both are talking about nature and the positive things that it brings to the earth. Overall, the readings opened up my eyes to nature that I had never really considered. I learned a lot and am now more observant when walking to class.

I chose to walk through a southern area of Lincoln Park near the zoo, by the nature museum. I chose this area because I’m familiar with it, but also because I enjoy it. There are paths and a pond and a playground. I don’t think that I really noticed anything differently, but taking the walk after having the Kuo and Muir readings fresh in my mind made it interesting.
The two writings were so different because of how each of the authors was looking at nature. While Muir’s writings were heartfelt and almost poetic, Kuo’s-while obviously advocating the importance of nature and greenery-was scientific. I found my walk to be more similar to Kuo’s writings because even though nature is all around, one can’t help but be aware of the concrete paths and buildings around. While this park seems to be urban ecology at its finest, one does not get the same euphorial sense of nature that they may get in a different setting.
Because nature affects us everyday, I don’t think that the walk really changed the way I look at it. I like to think that I am a very aware person and a socially conscious person, so I do see what nature offers us and try to appreciate that every day. It seems like a silly, “tree-hugger” way of thinking but, I know that it is important to respect our resources and value nature in order to ensure its livelihood fir the future. And although the area that I walked through may have been constructed, it is nonetheless, an urban natural habitat, home to many different species.

Today I took a jog along the Lake Michigan lakeshore. While I was running, I tried to be more aware than usual of my surroundings. I took out my headphones and analyzed the nature I encountered on my hour run. It was a beautiful sunny day, mid-afternoon, so there were a lot of people out on the trail. People of all ages and socio-economic statuses surrounded me; rollerblading, biking, and running. The nature I encountered was obviously man-made. The grass was not naturally grown, there were construction signs in the water, and overflowing garbage cans of dog poo surrounded the dog park. The only animals I saw besides the dogs were squirrels and seagulls.

The nature I encounter on a daily basis is very similar to the experience I had on my jog. I am constantly walking past parks that seem natural but are in fact man-made, and surrounded by garbage cans and litter. On the other hand, I live in Lincoln Park, and the benefit of living in such a wealthy area is how well the natural surroundings are kept. It is an urban area and some things just can’t be helped, but I feel very lucky on a day-today basis to be able to live in a neighborhood that is well cared for.

I would compare this particular interaction with nature more with Kuo’s writing, although it had some aspects of both. This is because Kuo wrote more about the reasons behind and causes of what he saw. As I was running I contemplated why I saw the things I did, in particular in relation to my urban atmosphere. I saw graffiti on the side of a bridge because the space I was running past was less taken care of, a result of a lower-income neighborhood. As I continued on the path and entered more wealthy areas the trees became more plentiful and the surroundings appeared cleaner. However, I genuinely enjoyed the nature I did encounter, specifically the lake, which identifies more with Muir’s writing. Granted, I am from Minnesota, and if this assignment had taken place there, my answer might have been weighted more heavily on the side of Muir, because the natural environment in Minnesota is more pristine. But I constantly find myself appreciating the environment of Chicago, and the differences it provides from my hometown.

Naturalist Essay Rima Alsammarae

This weekend I came to Oak Brook, Illinois to visit my family for the religious holiday, Eid. The leaves on the giant Oak tree that protect my bedroom window from a stranger’s glance are turning yellow and orange. I decide today that it’s time to take my walk through a place I used to refer to as home. I instinctively begin to walk down a familiar path. I cut through my neighbor’s yard, just barely staying outside the invisible fence placed for their tireless dog. I normally bring my iPod when I walk, however it’s now broken, and I’m forced to absorb the uneasiness of silence.
I begin to notice how green the grass I’m stepping on is. Not a single yard in Oak Brook is unkempt; with built in sprinklers that are managed by a timer attached to the side of the house, most yards remain exceedingly green. The clouds above me cast grey shadows that compliment the greenness of the grass. The familiar scent of the wind graces my mind with old memories of meeting up with close friends in the nighttime. As I cross into a second neighbor’s yard, I see a family gathered in the kitchen. I don’t spend much time crossing their lawn, but I notice a small rabbit to my left waiting motionless. I pause momentarily assuming he or she will run in the opposite direction. I slowly put my hands in my pockets; it has been months since I’ve seen any animal other than alley rodents and squirrels. Seeing as rabbits are extremely timid creatures, I’m surprised at its calmness and patience. I step forward cautiously. Nothing. This particular one has posted itself as though its feet are cemented in the soil. I pick up my pace again and I am finally near my destination.
As I get closer, I see familiar homes that I used to pass on past getaways- familiar landscapes, vehicles and oil stains on driveways. I look beyond a child’s playhouse and a swarm of insects. There it is, my old friend – the bridge. ‘The bridge’ is a grand name my friends and I gave to a tiny overpass that connects two neighborhoods. It’s built over a comparatively large pond which houses thousands upon thousands of fish, insects and plants. I can hear thunder in the distance and realize my visit to an old friend will have to be cut short.
As I take time to stand there over the water throwing rocks into the pond I realize that most my interactions with nature are interactions with what we’ve turned nature into. I normally live in the city of Chicago and while I walk most everywhere I need to go, the scenery is colored by midrise buildings, skyscrapers, and fenced in apartment complexes. The wind in the city usually only graces my senses with the smell of car exhaust and palpable humidity. The dogs on the street are mild and domesticated. Even in the suburbs, the most authentic interaction I experienced today was that between the rabbit and I. It was barely the size of my forearm yet this engagement felt foreign and unprecedented.
Between the two readings, my experience was more akin to Muir’s writing. However, I argue that because my experience was nothing like Kuo’s approach to nature. Muir’s was less scientifically based and while I took note of what I saw, I suppose one could say that my walk was more emotional than analytical.
This walk left me feeling a slight disconnect between whatever is left of nature and myself. As I walked back towards my house I starred from across my neighbor’s lawn at the Willow trees in my back yard. They’ve grown to tremendous heights, reaching the third level of my house. As I starred at them, the rain began. Slow at first, the rain picked up and the willow trees began to dance, maybe I haven’t totally alienated nature yet, perhaps it truly is all around.

Naturalist Essay- Cora Marquez

I am always walking around Chicago and Lincoln Park area whether it is to go to class or to go to a friend’s apartment. For this nature walk I decided to just get lost in the residential area surrounding my house and take turn down streets I have never ventured to go before. The nature that I encountered while walking around Chicago and Lincoln Park area was mostly many trees on residential street surrounded by small plots and squares or grass. Some areas had lavish gardens and landscaping. I also passed a few parks with open fields and tall bushes. The wild life that I witnessed was a few birds and rabbits but not many at all. I did see a rat on my walk home in the alley, which is always fun to find. A few things that I noticed while walking for this assignment that I usually don’t notice was the variety of trees in Lincoln park as well and the exotic flower arrangements. People tend to care a lot about the appearance of their small grassy plots and put lots of money into them. I also was surprised that I did not see any squirrels because I am so used to seeing them everywhere at home in St.Paul. Minnesota. I love being out in nature and especially appreciate it way more then every while living in the city. Even though I live in the city at home we have much more green space then there seems to be in Chicago. I feel relaxed and peaceful when I am surrounded by nature and I try not to worry about the future life all of these plant species will have due to the entire crisis being discussed. My feelings do not change about nature whether I am inside or outside, I love it and wish I could always be in a huge forest or at my farm in northern Minnesota looking over the lake in our canoe. I ride my bike everywhere around the city; it is my main transportation .By riding my bike I am interacting with nature everyday and constantly whenever I leave my house. I ride past parks, animals, sunlight, trees, grass, flowers, insects and so much more everyday and notice strange bumps in the road and leave everywhere in the fall. I feel as though my walk was a mix between both the authors’ writings. I did tend to think about things on a scientific level as Kuo’s writing was about the science of the trees where as Muir's focused on the surroundings and turning the nature into a story and giving each animal and plant a character and new life. I tend to do that as well, think about the lives the animals have and how they act and move as well as the nature surrounding them.

Naturalist Essay

Michael Simmons

For my nature walk, I chose a path a have taken many times over the last couple years. I live off Irving Park Road roughly three blocks from the lake, so biking and walking along the lakefront trail are common activities for me. This particular walk did not seem very different to me because I generally do pay attention to my surroundings and notice the environment moving around me. I came across the same plants and animals I do on any other day. I walked through the Lincoln Park golf course to reach the lake and so there were many trees and a lot relatively well maintained grass. The trees were full of buzzing insects, chirping birds, and climbing squirrels. I saw a rabbit run from one bush to another in the park and along the lake I noticed seafaring birds and well kept grassy areas. Those areas were full of people doing different activities like tossing the Frisbee, playing catch with their dogs, and just laying out. Although there were many fishermen, I did not see any fish.
I think about nature in Chicago as more of a footnote than anything else. I don’t feel much of anything when being “in” urban nature. The lake is a great place to spend time but the rest of my urban environment isn’t very interesting to me. My home town has several large conservation areas, all being slightly different from each other, so I was use to much greater diversity before I moved to the city. I also spend a lot of time camping over my summer breaks in more remote areas that offer untouched nature. I love this type of nature and try to get away from the city whenever I can because spending time in natural spaces with fresh air just feels good.
I interact with nature on a daily basis by walking or biking through the city. Pigeons are a constant obstacle in the Loop and it is a challenge avoiding them. I enjoy the green nature we do have by laying in the grass in Millennium Park, sitting under a tree in Lincoln Park, or lounging on the Fullerton beach. There is a great deal of nature throughout our city if you are looking for it and I try to notice the little things everyday.
My nature walk related more to Kuo’s writing than Muir’s because I had more of a Kuo mindset. He used a scientific approach to study urban nature and how city dwellers interact and respond to green improvements, and because we discussed this idea in class I was thinking in more of that scientific mode. Muir’s piece was a descriptive account of his travels through rugged, untouched nature whereas Kuo was discussing changes in urban nature. Perhaps if I had taken a walk through the woods or a wide open prairie, my experience would have been as poetic as Muir’s. Instead, I noticed people interacting with green areas just as Kuo suggested.

Maggie Landon
9-19-09
Naturalist Essay
I decided to walk down a pathway that leads down to Lake Michigan. Living in Chicago, one might think there would not be a lot of nature but I encountered trees, plants, grass, dirt, birds and many bugs. I rarely take walks around the city. Usually, I am in a rush to get to class, work or home so I never take the time to study my surroundings and the nature that is included in it. On this particular walk, I did take the time to look around myself and was disappointed at all of the litter that I saw. People carelessly throw paper, wrappers and cigarette buts right on the ground. I rarely notice all of this litter but I did today.
I enjoy all the nature that surrounds me. I always feel revitalized when I am outside in nature. I love breathing in the fresh air and soaking up the sun. I feel healthier when I am outside in nature as opposed to cramped up in my apartment.
Nature interacts with me immensely on a daily basis. My moods are affected a lot by the weather. I am usually much happier if the weather is nice outside. I enjoy the sunshine and I feel like nature comes to life when the weather is nice instead of cloudy and rainy. The trees seem greener and there are animals out and about. When it is cloudy or rainy nature always seems dismal. Everything is grey and the trees and animals don’t seem as lively. When the weather is bad my mood changes; sometimes I get a little sad because of it.
I went on my walk after reading Kuo’s writing and I was thinking about his work a lot so I think my walk was more like the interaction described in his writing. I noticed how the trees were planted in the ground and how man-made they look. There is a perfect cut hole for the trunk of the tree and there are big metal grates surrounding the trees. I always wondered why these trees were even planted, but after reading Kuo’s writing I understand. The trees were planted to make the neighborhoods look nicer and to hopefully make people have more pleasant interactions with each other, according to Kuo’s study. I agree that the trees do just that, and it is nice to see them planted around my neighborhood.
Kuo’s writing was an actual study that was performed about trees and their effect on people and neighborhoods whereas Muir’s writing was a narrative describing nature using various metaphors.