As I traipsed among the soggy leaves along the edge of the creek feeding into Westhampton Lake, my observations were numerous: the cloak of moss enveloping the rocks, the way the water parted around debris and then came to reunite again, the abandoned Keen shoe submerged in the damp leaves, the way the bubbles floated along the surface of the water only to disappear in the blink of an eye, the sound of the rushing water interrupted by the sound of rushing cars…
As I walked from where we started towards where the creek slowly became the lake, there was one thing that stuck in my mind. I couldn’t help but notice the contrast between man and nature. Despite the fact that we were a decent trek from the nearest UR building, there was evidence of man everywhere: the lost shoe, the Styrofoam cup floating along the bank, the pipes, the countless cars passing by. I wondered how the inhabitants of the creek were affected by man’s presence; were they startled as each car rushed by? were they intrigued by the abandoned shoe? what would happen when the one Styrofoam cup turned into 20 Styrofoam cups? I also wondered what the creek could become without the presence of man; would the water be clearer? would the creatures come out and reveal themselves?
These ponderings reminded me how much of a one-sided relationship man has with nature. In a way it’s a type of unrequited love; nature doesn’t need us, nature would be so much better without us, but what would we do without nature? Without that creek, we wouldn’t have Westhampton Lake. Without Westhampton Lake, what would campus be centered around? There would be no geese to harass us, no trees to climb, and no grass to run barefoot in. It is incredibly difficult to fathom the idea of the absence of nature, but I think it is something that we should all attempt to do. It makes us appreciate nature for all that it is and it makes us want to preserve that; to pick up the abandoned shoe, and to retrieve the floating Styrofoam. Nature replenishes us, energizes us, and consoles us; perhaps we could find a way to return the favor.
Here’s a quote from Anne Frank that I really like about what nature does for us:
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be … As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.”