1.) Human Environment Connections
What promotes human connection to nature?
In order to spark a connection between human and nature, the overall surrounding environment should primarily consist of nature and they have to experience it. By being surrounded by its beauty and full glory, it is much easier to appreciate it. Also sports that can take place in the outdoors such as
snowboarding, cross country skiing, skating and other summer sports which can also be played outside, all can promote a connection. For individuals who might not fully be willing to go camping and live in the woods, should be introduced to it through places and things that are semi easy and accessible. Things such as neighbourhood parks and butterfly or flower gardens.
What promotes disconnection from nature?
The thing that is the most successful at disconnecting us from nature is the nature of human beings themselves. Technology, urbanization and large cities make it harder and harder to escape the endless amounts of concrete and just breathe in a deep breath of fresh, uncontaminated air. In Manitoba this is less dramatic, but the same cannot be said for New York City. In a city without greenery, Central Park is treated like a safe haven by the locals and even myself during my brief stay there. Natural beauty will always out-compete artificial or urban beauty as at some point it will fall short of the real thing it was designed to imitate.
My photo capturing the largest green space in New York, NY
Is there a danger to a growing disconnect from nature?
It is extremely alarming to witness such destruction of ecosystems within our homeland. The worst part is that so many people do not either know, or realize what is happening. When we are disconnected from nature, we do not realize the problems within nature nor do we seem to care. The value of nature and therefore ecosystem is lost to the very people who are the ones that need to protect it. When the value and mere realization that the ecosystem is the very system that allows life to go on is not recognized, the danger of losing it for economic purposes increases. When we are disconnected from nature it affects our overall mentally and inner well being. For more information check out the following article from One Green Planet.
'..humans have successfully paved many sections of “paradise,” all in an effort to civilize the natural world.' - One Green Planet
2.) Worldviews
Where do your environmental ethics lie?
I believe that I have an overall biocentric view point. My whole life I’ve loved animals and researched them at nauseam. I believe that animals cannot protect themselves from man so it is people who have such an environmental ethic viewpoint to stand up for them. I do however, value mammals above insets and some marine life. I also admire certain mammals more than others, specially ‘big cats’ (the Rusty Spotted Cat being one of my favourites). But overall, I agree that the system is more important than the individual and believe that nature is both more powerful and more valuable than man made creations. Man can create many insane and crazy things, but he cannot recreate that what he has destroyed.
3.) Wildspaces
Can parks meet its dual mandate of access and protection?
My immediate response would be ‘no.’ There isn’t a way for both man and wildlife to coexist peacefully when such large masses of them accumulate (such as Banff, where a town along with roads and other things are created). This is most likely because the human race believes itself to be more intelligent, therefore better, and inconsiderate in nature. Either there is no human life and wildlife can recuperate, or humans invade the habitat and slowly kill the environment and potentially wildlife. Both cannot coexist in a space naturally, otherwise it is an artificial ‘park,’ which wildlife will not immensely benefit from.
However, much like what Riding Mountain National Park has struggled to achieve is an example of ‘controlled’ human behavior. In such situations when human impact is severely limited it not only benefits wildlife, but also increases the amount of reconnection that humans may find when visiting.
How can this be achieved in Wapusk?
Wapusk National Park is a rather peculiar park in that it struggles to both meet its mandate of allowing visitors, yet having it remain free of human activity and contact. I believe that unlike Banff National Park, Wapusk can meet the requirements and is doing so. By eliminating large crowds of tourists and people, it keeps the flow of humans to a minimum, by restricting physical access to the park it reduces man’s ability to taint the land with urban features such as highways, vehicle pollution and other associated noises. By continuing to use these strict methods, it allows the park to remain intact and causes minimal disturbances to the wildlife and habitat. Public education and support is vital for the park, but with too much human interference and disturbance it may further or severely upset the natural balance of the ecosystem.
'World's Smallest Cat': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W86cTIoMv2U
'Riding Mountain National Park': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7em9uuro7Oo
Polar Bear Mother & Cubs, Wapsuk: https://ssl.c.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000._BG_63oWPI/fit=1000x750/08020366SU.jpg
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