Christian's Nature Blog

I do not classify myself as an exceptional runner, but I intend to improve my ability to run and, therefore, the quality of my runs throughout the next year.   I remember sprinting “the mile” during elementary school physical education, giving every ounce of effort I had.   In middle school, I remember running “the mile,” but my pace felt slower for that race compared to the mile in elementary school.   In high school, I jogged the mile, this time even slower than middle school.   This was not due to ability but rather the inevitable circumstances surrounding P.E. After all, how unnatural it would be for me to sweat in a class dedicated to physical activity. Really though, sitting in the next class sweating from P.E. the period before is not on the top of the “my favorite things to do” list. Now as a senior in college, I run to revert back to my memory of the elementary school mile and those days of endless energy and persistent physical exertion without...

The following passage describes the start of a journey I had several months ago that remains one of the most magnificent outdoor experiences I have had to date.   Originally, I was not going to write about it considering the landscape I traveled may not be as fresh in my head as the plants, animals, or other natural features described in my other nature journals that describe the present. Despite this, a conversation we had in class a few weeks ago made me reconsider.   In particular, the question that caused me to revise my thinking was a question posed by Dr. Williams: Is Walden fiction?   Initially, I felt inclined to think it certainly was not. Thoreau described the land and environment of his surroundings. Even if he did revise his writing several times, perhaps he was trying to reach an objective depiction of his surroundings. On second thought, however, I consider how Thoreau, just like any other human, perceives the world from his own experiences and biases. ...