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Sustainability and Sense of Place in the Sonoran Desert/Resource Use & Policy

=Component Six – Resource Use & Policy= Our readings for this Component came from recent issues of High Country News, a particularly responsible journal of environmental issues in the American West (https://www.hcn.org). We also viewed the wonderful video "When Humans Were Prey," produced by PBS Eons (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_hl804lSfc).

Guest speakers in 2020 were long-time environmental activist Cary Meister, who narrated his experiences in working to establish Wilderness-area designations under the 1960s-era Congressional Act, and Karen Reichhardt, who talked about her long career with the Bureau of Land Management. In 2021, Nancy Meister, partner to Cary, spoke about her many years of environmental advocacy and specifically about organized efforts to lobby the Arizona State Legislature on "Environmental Day at the Capitol."

Guiding Questions
Where did the Salton Sea come from? The Colorado River has periodically filled the Salton Sink (to create the Salton Sea) over the last tens of thousands of years, what is different about it this time? Why don’t people just let it dry up like it has done in the past?

In what way(s) does the Salton Sea fit into the category of environmental problems that have been impacted negatively by the pandemic? In what ways is that trend disturbing in the face of the facts that COVID-19 is going to be hard to suppress in this country and, more generally, that pandemics are becoming more likely with the growing global population, not to mention various climate-change issues that are going to require massive emergency responses?

In what ways is the Salton Sea a symbol of humans’ arrogance? That is, in what ways is the Imperial Valley embody the collateral damage that can result from economic ventures that are undertaken without a reasonable assessment of possible risk?

In what ways are the lake and its looming problems a symbol of our willingness to accept health problems in the local human population? The local natural environment? Why hasn’t more been done to remedy those particular problems, do you suppose?

“The feds insist they occupy a supporting role, and agency heads from Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refused to attend a September congressional hearing to discuss the government’s role in cleaning up the lake.” What seems to be the political issue here?

How do the environmental problems of Salton Sea affect more than just the local region?

Student Discoveries
While the Salton Sea has been dangerous for many years, not much has been done about this environmental problem. The ball was going to get rolling in 2020; however, we had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic instead of environmental issues. This is just one more thing COVID-19 has taken from us. Growing global population and climate change are two issues that exist and will only cause more problems in the future; if we recognize this, we must recognize that we must stop simply planning and debating what to do, we have to actually do. Over the last twenty years, the problems with the Salton Sea have been vaguely planned; however, no major progress has been made towards solving the problem.

Fixing this would cost a lot of money that government in California doesn’t want to pay, and especially with a pandemic they aren’t going to focus on this and focus their money elsewhere like they have been doing anyways. The pandemic just makes it worse. Along with more and more people abandoning the place it is essentially becoming desolate and toxic. This is a prime example of human arrogance, or maybe just ignorance at first and then arrogance amongst the local government not wanting to spend the money to recover it even though it poses a huge health risk to locals. Though the difference between this and the pandemic is that there is much more media attention on the pandemic than this. I have never heard of this issue and i even used to live in the Bay Area in California.

It is a symbol of our arrogance, and of our bland human desires such as greed. Humans often have a need for some sense of power, as species, we have learned that power cannot be exerted over our own as it is immoral, so we decided to exert it over nature, an ambivalent point in which many people differ in opinions however nature cannot speak to the ears of the ignorant, and that's why we keep harming it, we ignore the systematic destruction of the habitats, of wildlife, of everything that was so beautiful and complex just to satisfy our unending wants.

If an action is not put into practice, we will be faced with repeating the same story in regards to environmental problems; as resources are beginning to be focused on environmental problems, something happens that we did not plan for, and those resources are taken away. If we continue this pattern, when will environmental issues be given the attention that they need? Are we going to wait until a massive climate-change issue occurs for there to be an emergency response?

It is a perfect example of what can happen due to human arrogance and greed. Due to carelessness of people in the past, people nowadays have to deal with their problems and find a way to deal with it. More importantly, even when people want it to end, they face several issues with the legislature that solutions are promised time and time again but nothing is ever put to action. This has been going on for several years now and the people responsible for fixing it even keep acknowledging that nothing has actually changed but they promise to fix it soon.

The environmental problems surrounding the Salton Sea affect more than the local region. The sand emission of these areas can travel across southern California and make its way to Arizona and other nearby states. Which will most likely cause more air pollution and health problems to humans, such as many respiratory illnesses. The upsetting part about this situation is that as years go by, the effects seem to intensify and worsen.

Now the Salton Sea is causing an environmental and public health issue. The shoreline has moved back from its original position exposing "la playa." This is not just it. The contract for protecting the Sea is very old and has not been renewed. We can't let the Salton Sea dry up because if we do it would leave exposed the toxic that is coated at the bottom of it.

Environmental problems of Salton Sea bring up issues that may occur in other places. The government had to be held responsible for their lack of action and funds. As of 2020, the Imperial County Air Pollution gave violations to the state and feds for failing to perform dust-control projects. Problems like the Salton’s retreating lake will arise and maybe in the future we can take better examples of how to handle the issues. Learning how to deal with toxic lakes will help us with other similar clean-up projects.

Guiding Questions
What, specifically, do climate scientists mean when they say “the new normal?”

How do you think “the new normal” will affect the Salton Sea?

Consider the following quote - “Farmers can’t expect that they can plant whatever they want or not expect water to be expensive,”... “Urban areas need to get way more efficient, people need to ditch way more lawns.” - How do you think people will adapt to this change?

Student Discoveries
The “new normal” scientists are referring to is the fact that the Colorado River Basin will continue to have less water and hotter days. However, there can be extreme drought years within this new normal such as 2020. There was warmer spring and no summer monsoons to bring water to the Southwest. This “new normal” will continue to bring even less water to the Salton Sea, so it will continue to diminish.

I think people as long as they remain ignorant about the truth of the state of nature they will be unable to adapt. Adaptation is a natural response that results from the acknowledgment of an imminent threat to the integrity of the species, and as I said before, there is no need to adapt in the eyes of the people that wish to remain ignorant. However, I do believe future generations are gonna do a greater job to opt for a minimalistic approach to their wants, not by a lot, but at least they are acknowledging some threatening aspects of environmental change and the "new normal".

Adapting to change is not easy; it takes a lot of effort to achieve…To change that idea will take time, however, it could eventually be achieved. People can adapt to change, but the effort must be practiced in order to achieve it.

By “the new normal” climate scientists mean the change in the climate that affects the water of the area, more specifically as stated in the passage, “less water and hotter days”. This is something that has been happening since the 2000’s and seen as changes from the norm, but now those changes have become the norm. I think that the “new normal” will affect the Salton Sea because since the Colorado River will fill a lot less, it will have less overfill which will cause the Salton Sea to lose its water source and make it dry off.

When climate scientist refers to the phrase "new normal" they are describing a warming world. In other words, they are talking about a sustained period in which we experience warmer days and less water. I think that the "new normal" could negatively affect the Salton Sea. If these warmer days continue, then the water cycle could be affected, and there would be less precipitation to fill the lake, which will expose the dusty lakebed and create more health problems. Additionally, these warmer days can also cause more water to evaporate from the rivers, and there would be a significant decline in stream flows and runoffs.

I think that the phrase "new normal" when climate scientist say it they are referring to how the situation (being bad) as began to seem ordinary (which should be bad). People are barely putting enough attention to this issue and now classifying it as the "new normal" I feel that they would just ignore it even more.

Since 2000, the Colorado River has faced a period of droughts and extremely high temperatures. In 2020, during warm springtime, seasonal monsoons didn’t happen. As a result, the basin suffered the consequences of low precipitation. According to the study, nature will eventually tell us what we have to do to live. This means that we will no longer have the choice to ignore the environmental issue like we do in the past. This “new normal” will negatively impact the Salton Sea. With the decrease of water levels, the shoreline will recede at a rapid pace. Leaving sandy playa and windblown dust everywhere. This drought will cause salt to go up in the air and cause allergies and other bad symptoms.

Guiding Questions
What is the basic premise of this article?

What changes to the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) are being made? What is the reasoning that is made for these changes?

After three years of rolling back regulation, who has benefitied? Who has lost?

Given this article came out just before the global outbreak of the Covid-19, do you think there may be parallels among the changing roles of science in federal agencies?

Which is more serious, Trump's assault on the truth or his assault on the environment? In what ways are they the same thing?

Thinking back to the readings from last week, what public health and safety issues would be addressed by protecting the species you have chosen?

Student Discoveries
The main premise to this article is how Trump is trying to weaken the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) because he states they take too long to review the process which slows down the infostructure. The changes Trump has made to NEPA are diminishing the Bears Ears National Monument, tossed out rules protecting water from uranium operations, threw out limits on methane and mercury emissions, weakened the Clean Water Act, and, cleared the way for the Keystone XL pipelines.

The basic premise of this article is that Trump is attempting to weaken the National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA. He believes that there are problems with this act, and it's causing projects to take a long time. Trump claims that these projects are taking ten years to twenty years. According to research, these environmental projects take an average of five years, 5% last more than ten years, and less than 1% exert for more than twenty years. Trump isn't looking at all of the facts, and he is claiming that by weakening the NEPA, it will create more job opportunities. This statement is also incorrect since Trump is cutting projects; it is decreasing the number of jobs for people. Since Trump took office, he has diminished the environmental protection for Bears Ears National Monument. This cut back has caused the protection of water from uranium to cease. With this decision, he not only weakened the NEPA but the Clean Water act along with it. Another project that Trump has affected is the Keystone XL pipeline.

The premise of this article is that Trump is attempting to weaken the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA- a law that requires environmental reviews for projects that are handled by federal agencies. Trump claims that it is necessary because it is “hampering with economic growth” as it takes 20 to 30 years to have something built.

They want to move the Bureau of Land Management out to the west and have more offices scattered throughout the west of the U.S. Some representatives were saying that this should not be done, because this would involve people relocating or losing their jobs, and they pointed out that not many people would want to relocate

The main premise of this article is Trump's weakening of the National Environmental Policy Act, NEPA. His problem with this policy is that it slows down infrastructure due to the required environmental reviews. According to him, the review process takes twenty to thirty years, losing jobs and money throughout the process. Once the actual analysis of NEPA was conducted the average process takes less than five years to complete. Some cases do take longer due to their complexity.

The basic idea of the article is to explain why President Trump is changing the National Environmental Protection Act. The article mentions that Trump feels environmental projects are taking a long time to complete. When Trump became president, he began to change a lot and especially when it involved the NEPA. Trump did benefit the economy by creating jobs for people across the country. The environment has taken a hit for some of the decisions President Trump has made.

The purpose of this article is to show how President Trump is changing the National Environmental Policy Act. Throughout the article is discusses how Trump thinks there is an issue with this act because projects are taking longer than usual to finish. According to Trump he stated that these projects can take up to twenty years but when an analysis of NEPA took place it showed that the average process take about less than five years. Of course if the project is more complex it will take longer. When Trump took office he started making changes to NEPA that drastically impacted the environment negatively. Many of these changes were meant to help the economy by creating jobs. Overall these changes still have not made any impact on changing our environment. In fact it has made things worse and environmental effects and climate change are not being taken into consideration in this matter. The COVID-19 outbreak has seriously changed the way things are operating in the government. Some people even think it’s nature’s way of “karma”. Over the past couple of years things have been changing drastically in regards to the environment but now with the outbreak it has slowed down the harm we are doing to the environment. I feel Trumps impact on the environment is more severe.

Given this article came out just before the global outbreak of the Covid-19, I do think there may be parallels among the changing roles of science in federal agencies because they have to now turn their focus to the COVID-19 situation. I think the entire world is shut down and to reverse this everyone has to work together to essentially kill the virus before it kills the population.

A really interesting book I read several years ago, Fantasyland, really shaped my perception of some of the origins for this giant disconnect we’re seeing between science and public opinion. I think the Donald started poking his finger in a tear in American society. Then he ripped it wide open. His attacks on the truth probably concern me the most, mainly because of how effective they are with a large percentage of the population. Liars aren’t that harmful if everyone acknowledges they’re liars, it’s when people feel compelled to act like that person’s blatant lies are true that the reception starts getting a little fuzzy and things get dangerous. This disconnect between “the reality-based community” and public perception was surely always there. The strange and sad new twist is that the people that we have elected to government really seem to have no respect, or maybe understanding, for why public policy and our government, in order to be successful in the goal of managing the greater good, despite any political ideology, must be grounded in empirical data and just plain old reality. There are multiple parallels, dismantling the CDC, disregarding the CDC, replacing the scientist’s representatives that work with the CDC with lobbyists. Pretty much replace CDC with EPA. It’s a scary time. I don’t know if we will see our way back from this. Joe Rogan is unknowingly the new Rush Limbaugh and apparent authority on Coronavirus. A cult of personality is at the helm, with a legion of sycophants at his beckon. It seems grim my friends. It's up to us to be our own heroes.

I believe that organizations such as NEPA are trying their best in fighting against it but with so many that are trying to erase it such as Trump or those that see it as an income platform it is hard to determine if they will win against them.Since the COVID-19 outbreak, I do believe that there has been a similarity among the changing roles of science in federal agencies due to how serious the virus has become. In the beginning, I believe that the federal agencies thought of the virus as being not that serious but as it became worse took it more seriously due to the severity of it. Trump’s assault on the environment is more serious because of the increasing effect that it has on the environment. If he continues to assault the environment it without a doubt will be the end of the species of animals and plants as we know it. One of the ways that Trump’s assault on the environment and truth is the same thing is his thought is on it which is not being a serious problem. I with a firm belief think that he truly does not realize how serious the truth is as well as the environment with it only being taken as seriously as it has been due to the pressuring of others for him to listen. Taking a look at the mule deer one safety issue would be the highways that are built because it causes vehicle strikes and indirectly through fragmentation of habitat that keep them from obtaining the resources they need and reduce genetic interchange. As a result, these types of conflicts reduce their population ability due to the restriction of being able to gather the resources they need

Guiding Questions
What is meant by the term "Placelessness" and what are its perils?

In what ways is it in conflict with a Sense of Place?

If such Placelessness is the modern norm, what are its inevitable implications to the ecosphere?

What "placeless" multinational corporations/forces potentially imperil your area?

Student Discoveries
I believe what they mean with “placelessness” is somewhere that someone believes they don’t fit.

What is meant by the term "Placelessness" is the loss of uniqueness in a specific location. This article talks about how Seattle has been struggling, and that they were going to relocate to Chicago. They are trying to expand the company and taking more land as they relocate. Multinational corporations/forces that are potentially imperiling my area would be the military base. The runway of Yuma's military base is the third-longest in the United States. This runway is taking up more space and decreasing the amount of habitat for many different species.

‘Placelessness” is the loss of uniqueness of place in the structural landscape.

If Placelessness is moving from place to place without building connections or emotions, then the environment might actually suffer. People would move to new places, use up the natural resources, and keep moving if people don’t stay long enough to use the resources that are available in that place and try to replace them, then the place might run out of resources. Placelessness is the opposite of a sense of place, I believe that a sense of place is a place where you feel connected and comfortable with your environment. If placelessness is the new norm there are inevitable implications to the ecosphere. There will be animals, plants, people, etc. living in places that they are not well adapted to.

In class we constantly discuss the phrase, "sense of place" and when we think about "Placelessness" means being alone or not fitting in. When discussing "sense of place" in class we often refer to being apart of the environment and not intruding on the world around us. A lot of times us humans decide to do what's best for us and not what's best for the animals and nature that also live in our world.

The term “Placelessness” means being lost or not having the sense of belonging. For our class this is the opposite of a “sense of place” because a “sense of place” means belonging and being apart of the environment around you not coming in and invading for the convenience of what you think is best.

Placelessness seems to be something like one’s disconnect from the local place they occupy. Seeing the effects of plastics on the Colorado River, the draining of the Gila, and our overuse of water really makes me more concerned and helps cutout some of the ambiguity on where to start immediately helping the environment. Without this sense of place, and in a perpetual sense of placelessness, I see where we have gone wrong. I really hope after this idea was shared with us we can help share it with others.

The term ‘’Placelessness’’ is referred to be the loss of the natural habitat of a region so that one place looks like the next. One threat to this is the loss of a natural habitat’s uniqueness because of the effect that it has on the habitat’s species in the way that they function. In turn, it conflicts with a Sense of Place because it lacks a habitat having a place in the world. When it comes to a ‘’Sense of Place’’ it depicts a sense of belonging to the world or having a purpose in which ‘’Placeslessness’’ contradicts it with it being the opposite. In the modern age ‘’placelessness’’ has become the norm with its inevitable implications to the ecosphere being the destruction to all civilization whether it be humankind or other species

Guiding Questions
Does this video change your understanding of our species, Homo sapiens, recent evolutionary history? Have you been taught that humans have a thirst for blood and that is our true nature? Or have you been taught that it is our ability to cooperate that is our true nature?

Even if we did evolve from "killer apes," does that mean we're obligated to continue behaving that way? What does religion tell us?

How do you think these alternative stories influence the way we view ourselves? Do you think it matters what we think of ourselves? Why and/or why not?

Do you think humans, in general, feel like they belong to the places they live? Do you feel like you belong to the place you live?

Student Discoveries
I don’t believe that doesn’t obligate us human beings to continue behaving that way because we have evolved drastically. We no longer need to act that way because it is no longer necessary for us to live, how were lived and how we live now are two complexly different worlds in which we act totally different.

I never thought that we were once considered prey. I always believed that we would hunt and kill other animals. I have heard that saying before since there have been plenty of killings this past couple of years. I've heard people say that killing other things is something that our species has done for many years and that it will never change. I don't believe that we need to continue behaving this way. It's wrong in so many different ways. Many different religions believe that we should respect the animals that are on this earth with us. For example, the Buddhist belief is that we should respect humans and animals. I feel like the alternative stories can influence the way we view ourselves positively and negatively. Depending on the person, we can see this from a negative point of view and try to change our old ways. If a person positively views this, they'll think that if we change our habits, we will demonstrate that we are weak. I believe that it does matter what we think of ourselves. From my point of view, I care about what I think about myself. I feel like this pushes me to try to be the best version of myself every day. I assume that if people worry about what they think of themselves, it can help them try to better their surroundings.

Even if we evolved from killer apes that does not mean we are obligated to continue behaving that way. In today’s society, we frown up killing and if committed, the individual can face prison time. Religion is also against killing and in my religion, that is one of the ten commandments that one shall not commit. I would not consider this thirst for blood because I think that like many other animals if humans are not in a life or death situation, they would much rather prefer to not attack someone. I have also been taught that we are social creatures and that we need to cooperate to survive.

I've never been taught that it is human nature to have thirst for blood, but have noticed that humans do things that benefit themselves, survival instinct.

I never really knew humans were once prey, I always thought we were at the top of the food chain. Evolution has shown otherwise and that we once were prey. We now control the world and we are the most superior in the food chain. It's truly amazing how much things have changed over the years and how we feel this is where we belong now. After watching the video it did not really change my mind about our history of evolution. I feel humans are really good at communicating with each other but we are horrible at adapting to the environment around us. Humans have to constantly “improve” the world around us because we are never satisfied with what we have. It didn’t surprise me that we were once prey but it also shows the development we went through. Now we are the hunters and dominating everything we come in contact with. I feel like humans do believe they belong here and with its high tech world it won’t last as long as people think. I feel like I do belong here but I wish it was different. I feel like technology and domination has taken over the views on what people believe is normal and they need to re-evaluate what needs to be normal.

Even if we did evolve from "killer apes," I don’t think that means we're obligated to continue behaving that way. Now we are civilized, and it would be ‘inhuman’ to act like “killer apes”. I think these alternative stories influence the way we view ourselves because it creates a preexisting notation of what we used to be.

It absolutely, to me, and objectively, matters what we think of ourselves. We have shown what is possible in great times of crisis before. It’s as simple as a sport’s slogan, “The man that believes he can’t is right.” I’ve seen so many people convinced man is horrible. What I really see in them is a hatred for their powerlessness to overcome their emotions and understand humans are a mixed bag. They inevitably hurt environmentalism by their constant need to be outraged and pessimistic. They repeat the same talking points and when I say, “Well we ought to get together and do something,” they look at the ground and a lot of rocks get shuffled around. If you believe the world is doomed and man is evil, you’re right. It’s hard to be a optimist living in these times, I know I’m not. I’m a pragmatist. I know that getting off my rear, helping where I can and shining a light on the positive helps way more than throwing sticks, and it takes a lot more virtues, chiefly hard work and good emotional fitness. When the decks stacked against you and it doesn’t look like your going to make it out, keep your head and keep working, believing it’s all lost and all bad is the surest way to make it so.

After looking at the video it did change my view on homo sapiens in their recent evolutionary history because it showed a side that portrayed a side of them being preyed upon rather being the hunters. Since I was a child, I had always thought that homo sapiens were the hunters towards other predators. I have always been taught that we can cooperate with others in a sense of us being the gathers. All in all, I believe that we are naturally formed as being gathers to better ourselves and share it with the rest of our family by providing for them. More so, even if we did evolve from ‘’killer apes’’ it does not mean that we are obligated to continue behaving that way because of our sense of free will in being able to choose how we live and the actions that we do. Religion tells us that we are obligated to act in a way that benefits everyone or is of good intention, but it also tells us of our ability to choose how we act. In turn, these alternative stories influence the way that we view ourselves through the way that we think by the reminder of being a good person. How we think of ourselves is extremely important because it dictates the way that we act and the amount of effort that we put into the world

Description:
Prof. Nancy Meister gave insight into the world of environmental advocacy and how everyone can get involved in their government to advocate for the environmental issues that are important to them. Nancy Meister is a champion for the environment and an example to all that activism is important in general, but even more so on the local level.

Nancy Meister talked about Legislation on environmental issues, to me it was a presentation that portrayed the balance that must prevail when referring to the interaction and exploitation of natural resources.

Professor Emerita Nancy Meister is an environmental activist who has played an important role in our state’s legislation. Representing her community, Professor Meister has voiced her concerns to legislation in hopes to bring a change to the environmental issues surrounding the state and encourages us to do the same.

I think that the biggest takeaway from the guest speaker we had was that I should try to be more involved in politics and learn more about what I can actually do to help.

Reflection:
I was surprised to learn that anyone can take action in their communities and advocate for the issues that are important to them. There is not enough time in the world to address all our needs; however, there is enough to at least make a dent in them and protect our environment, simply by beginning to advocate at the local level.

Arizona is a very sunny state, where the sun is out longer in a day for more of the year than in any other area of the United States, especially here in Yuma in the Sonoran Desert. This means that this area has the greatest potential to utilize solar power energy to its fullest degree here. . . The bill was to make it so that energy companies must provide a certain percentage of their energy needed to come from solar power, which would mean they need to install solar panels as a big part of how they gain energy.

Environmental Day not just what happens on that day, but what that day represents. Did something special happen on that day? Did a largely recognized historical event took place? Why is that day specifically Environmental Day? The incredible thing is that on that day nothing significant occurred, and I think that makes it so special, you might wonder, why? And it is because that means that people united, and are trying to find ways to protect, and preserve nature they are so passionate about it that they created a day in which to advocate for legislation on environmental issues, standards, and so much more. What makes that day special is that is a day in which everyone accepts that we are not a citizen of our country, but a citizen of this world and I am excited to be a part of that.

Environmental issues have been a great concern for many years, yet so little has been done to help it due to the lack of awareness on the subject. The idea of being able to contribute in the decision making process, in the changes being made within the state, brings about a certain proudness in knowing the effort that is being made to do the right thing.

One of the biggest reasons why I don’t really follow politics is because it confuses me quickly and there is a lot to be learned. Not just because I have to know the laws and such but because I also have to do research behind every decision and how changing one factor can have a large list of effects on other things.

I was amazed to learn that there is time of the year where hundreds of advocates meet up with states legislators to discuss possible solutions to environmental problems. Professor Nancy Miester explained how important it is for us to pay more attention to who and how we vote because the environment also depends on it. This is an important measure for us to take because the right person to vote for will be someone who cares about the environment and is concerned about the major problems.

When she mentioned she was opposing a Bill it really showed how much she stands up for what she believes and is willing to speak up about it. What I found interesting was when she said how agricultural are not environmentalist but conservationist.

I found Professor Nancy’s lecture on the environmental policies very interesting and insightful. As a democrat who believes in climate change and policies that better the environment I had me questioning whether I was doing enough to support the causes. I know Professor Nancy has gotten to go against people who strongly oppose any political involvement concerning the environment (republicans). This must not be easy, but I can see just how passionate she is for the cause. She even represented LD 13 district even when she doesn’t live there. Although environmental day has been around for 20 years, I never really looked much into it until after the lecture. As you can tell throughout my discussions before this class even started, I was very ignorant on what was going on around the world.

Description:
Only congress can add wilderness, and only congress can take it away.

He mentioned that there are legal requirements to assigning a wilderness area that apply to all states and this is why a definition for wilderness was established in the Wilderness Act of 1964. Arizona has a lot of federal lands and the use of the land is controlled by congress either by adding or taking away. The process by which wilderness was designated in Arizona was easy by designating land but became difficult one designating where and how much. After all meetings they developed bills, and set out a boundary map to be checked, the bill then went through both houses but didn’t have the house of representatives’ full support, they only received half of what they thought was wilderness.

Reflection:
I'm glad to see that the NEPA is trying to protect the environment. It measures the effect it will have on the environment. Cary Meister began talking about the Organ Pipe National Monument and I was able to connect a lot of information to this location. I did research on the side for this location, and I learned so much about the plant and animal species in this area. I learned how important the organ pipe cactus is and that this park tries to protect these areas. One day I would like to visit this national park so that I am able to see the desert filled with these plants. It's interesting that this park has restricted the use of motorized vehicles. Cary mentioned that they have even prohibited the use of wheelchairs.

The definition of a "wilderness" as mandated by the federal government is such a mouthful. Through this presentation we saw I feel like a different side of the conservation of the environment, that is the political side, the red tape of it all. Environmentalists and conservationists already had my utmost respect but after hearing everything they have to go through Mr. Meister's presentation, I must tip my hat to them even more. I'm eternally grateful for all the people who have dedicated a portion (sometimes even most) of their lives to conserving this amazing planet. Is it better to protect these lands so they can remain the same or is it better to exploit them for money possibly destroying the area? In my opinion it is a better idea to protect these lands so they can remain to their roots and the animals in the area can live peacefully without the interaction of human beings. The more people visit an area the more that it will slowly be destroyed.

Cary Meister helped me to understand the amount of effort that is put into protecting the wilderness around us. There are many different elements on how to determine wilderness areas.

Cary Meisters presentation was very helpful and insightful in regard to helping me get a better idea of water use and the different effects it has. I think it's also nice to see that a man from our very own college is out there fighting for water rights and to be able to spread his knowledge and passion is amazing. Sadly I was not able to capture an image of one of the maps he was showing us but I think it would be very interesting to be able to look at them a little more and discuss the different water solutions he has in mind that we have not thought about. This talk really showed what grassroots organizations could accomplish, with the wilderness coalition fighting tooth and nail alongside John McCain and Mr. Udall to protect wilderness areas from lobbyists. We must not get lulled into thinking we can't fight back anymore and that we can't accomplish what these men and women did.

In class, we also touched upon the recent conflict of Trump destroying native land to build his “great” wall. At one point we as a collective must ask ourselves if the destruction of these beautiful landscapes is worth building another capitalist enterprise. Perhaps this conflict is a product of capitalism itself, but that is why we have fighters like Meister who patch the holes left by the greed of our system.

Desecription:
Burau of Land Management (BLM). This a federal agency in which focuses on the use and conservation of the land. The office that is located in Yuma Arizona manages around 1.2 million acers in Southwestern Arizona and Southeastern California. The main goal of this agency is to be able to sustain the land for the future generations She talked a lot about her career and how she got to where she is now. She started in Colorado at a community college which she liked geology classes and fell in love with botany, so she received an Associates in geology. She then went to Prescott for her undergrad where she got a degree in biology and geology. She then received her Master’s in Colorado and then got her first job in Tucson, mapping the plants of Grand Canyon national park. She got a job for Army corps of engineers which had one regulation to follow which was the clean water act. She then moved to Yuma working at the Yuma proving grounds as a consultant then received a BLM job which was the most complex.

Reflection:
Karen Reichardt began talking about the importance of conserving natural landscapes, and then mentioned an experience she had at the Grand Canyon. This made me reflect on the time that I went to the Grand Canyon a couple of years ago. I wasn't able to do everything that she did when she went, but I was able to walk through the Sky Walk. As she continued she mentioned that people are trying to make a landfill in an area that contains an important plant species. This is great because the organization that Karen is part of is trying to protect that area. Plant species are vital and we should conserve them. Many of these plant species have positive impacts on our environment.

It was very inspiring to see the difference Karen Reichardt's career has made in her life. I could tell she truly enjoyed and loved her job as I saw her face light up when she was talking about her past experiences and accomplishments while working for BLM. I hope to feel this same type of energy in my future job and I hope to inspire others like she did today.

I really felt for her. What a tough lady, trying to remain true to herself as an environmentalist while working for the BLM. It's hard for anyone not to become a moderate on environmental issues. We just have to accept that it hasn't worked. What has been done in the past has done a large amount of good, like the destruction of the invasive giant salvinia, there's no condemning the brutally hard work good people have done. However, we must also accept this is the information age. We now know it's not enough. It didn't work out. Things must change. The BLM, EPA, and other governmental agencies must stop pretending corporations are in dire need of lobbyists to protect the vulnerable business class from being hurt by radical environmentalists. The idea is laughable. Ossified structures must change or be left behind in helping us to save the planet. There is no more room for moderation on the environment. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), per acre, is the least funded of all the agencies. It really saddens me that there is so much potential good in the world and the fact that the only thing that keeps it from prospering is lack of money. All the organizations and projects that have failed simply due to lack of funding is quite terrible. And the only reason being that the people that ave the means of donating to such organizations don't because they won't make a marginal profit out of it. However, Ms. Karen Reichardt's story was truly inspiring, she's the living example of "when life gives you lemons make lemonade". It was a story of self-discovery. It is only human to give up once the times prove to be a little tough, however she was persistent and always moved forward. And eventually, she got to dare I say a job she loved. I can only hope to one day find myself at a job I am passionate about that brings me joy and brings others good.


text:
Sustainability and Sense of Place in the Sonoran Desert/History & Culture

=Component Seven – History & Culture= Our readings for this Component are found in A Desert Reader (first published in 1995 as The Sierra Club Desert Reader), edited by our earlier speaker Gregory McNamee. Each of them is an excerpt from a classic in literature about North American deserts, some of them Native American folklore.

Our visiting speaker in 2020 was Dr. Ellen Riek, who spoke to us about her experiences in teaching Sense of Place curriculum at several post-secondary institutions over the past couple of decades, and of incorporating the concept into courses of various kinds.

In 2021, our lecturing luminary was AWC History Professor Monica Ketchum, who talked about the long history of human habitation in the Sonoran Desert before and after the initial Encounter between indigenous and peoples European settlers.

Guiding Questions
"Land of Little Rain":  Among the naturalists we've read in this course, Mary Austin is the earliest, and her writing style reflects her time period. Other than that, she sounds a lot of the same notes as her successors - Leopold, McNamee, Sevigny, and others. What are some of the common themes that she brings up that we've been hearing throughout the semester? What are some points she makes that perhaps we haven't heard yet?

Austin is mostly talking about at the Mojave desert, an area adjacent to the Sonoran? Can you detect details that are different from those that apply to our own area of study? What plants & animals does she focus on, and what conclusions does she draw about them?

Student Discoveries, 2021
One of the common things between Austin’s writings and her successors, is the explanation of why the word “desert” does not truly encompass the region. She addresses how the desert has abundant life forms, even though it is assumed that the desert is lifeless. Upon reading, I found that Austin did a thorough job of describing the many of the species of plants and animals that make up the large biodiversity of the region.

the word Desert is not a word that should be used to describe the area because it is a term people most associate with a land that is void of life, and incapable of supporting life. She also mentions the adaptability of the plants that do live here and their ability to continue to grow even when water is scarce.

I believe a point that hasn't been established before to such extent is the idea of a Utopia, a reflection on the land of perfect ideals that allow for the union between humanity and nature, and that, as a result, allows for the appreciation of nature to extend to appreciating life and therefore every person is seen as having equal value this in term reduces many of the problems present on modern civilizations such as discrimination, she believed that regaining the gift of appreciation we would achieve a change from self-centered attitudes to being just a small part of nature that must be together to allow for the greater good to prevail.

Water sustainability is a big concern within the desert, and the problem of disappearing water has been present throughout time.

A common theme that Mary Austin brings up is how the word desert is extremely misleading for what the area actually is. When people hear the word desert, they think of barren wasteland where life struggles to survive with sand as far as the eye can see and is rare to see any vegetation. Meanwhile, reality is much different then how people perceive these places that are actually full of life.

In the reading, Mary Austin points out some of the common factors that contribute to the tragedy of desert deaths. Another theme that I remember hearing in class is that there is drinkable water a few feet underneath the surface of many areas of the desert. It is interesting to think that even though rain is the primary water source in the desert, animals and plants can sometimes rely on the stored groundwater.

I feel like all the readings we have been doing come back to the same connection of nature just different approaches. For instance, in this case Austin has a slight difference in her definition of what the desert is. She mentions it to be, “…. loose term to indicate land that supports no man….” She also talks about insects which I feel in other discussions we have covered mainly animals and specifically bigger ones.

Mary Austin along with Leopold, McNamee, Sevigny all mention how the desert is “never void of life”. They want to address the common misconceptions people have about the desert even way back in Austin’s days. Austin mentions how the weather changes depending on the seasons it’s not just continuously hot throughout the year. For example, June- November is unbearably hot. However, until April comes it is chill and doormat with a little bit of snow. Depending on the altitudes the weather can get to be extremely cold some certain will only grow at high altitudes. Unlike the other authors, Austin talks about Death Valley and how it got its name because of the dangerous hot sink. I think she mentions a little more about the dangers of the desert that can lead to death compared to the other authors.

Student Discoveries, 2020
Something that Ms. Austin brought up that I do not remember hearing in class is that there are areas in the desert that drinkable water is within a few feet from the surface which is indicated if there is a tree or bunch grass

Like Valerie Morril mentioned on our field trip, Austin also discusses different plant species like the mesquite. Something that I briefly read about in one of the readings was about the Yucca plant. Austin mentions in-depth about this specific plant and its physical features. She continues by talking about where there are plant seeds and insects; there will be birds in that area. Austin informs us about the different places that animals and birds habitat. For example, the painted lizard "slip in and out of rock crevices, and pant on the white hot sands" (Austin, page 6). The way that hummingbirds nest in cactus scrubs, and that woodpecker's habitat in demoniac yuccas. Another thing that I don't recall learning before is the Death Valley. Austin talks about the Death Valley and that it's the core of desolation; and that it has "nearly two hundred identified species."

The author included this quote, “Desert is a loose term to indicate land that supports no man; whether the land can be bitted and broken on that purpose is not proven. Void of life it never is, however dry the air and villainous the soil.” This reminded me of a discussion we had in class that the desert is full of life. There are plants and animals who live in that environment who have adapted to survive in those kinds of conditions.

People have learned ways to live off nature, animals find places to live in and what to eat, and plants have their unique characteristics to keep in as much moisture as they can. We see how the meadowlark doesn’t sit directly on the eggs to keep them warm, since it is too hot in the summer. Instead of laying on their eggs they stand over them to provide shade.

Mary Austin included her own definition of what a desert is. Relating back to our first discussion she mentions that “Desert is a loose term to indicate land that supports no man…” (Austin, page 2). In the same text, she states that a desert is quite the opposite of that idea, it is full of life although it has harsh conditions. Every reading we have read and talked about has their own thoughts about what a desert is, Austin has her own definition, “Desert is a loose term to indicate land that supports no man; whether the land can be bitten or broke into the purpose is not proven”.

Austin gave us some insight on her view of what a desert is. She becomes very descriptive of the desert and it's environment. She says, "This is the nature of that country. There are hills, rounded, blunt, burned, squeezed up out of chaos, chrome and vermilion painted, aspiring to the snow-line. Between the hills lie high level-looking plains full of intolerable sun glare, or narrow valleys drowned in a blue haze."

In this reading Austin discusses a vast number of topics we have been discussing all semester long and I think it’s interesting to see Austin’s point of view on the topic. In almost every reason each author had a different definition to desert but in the end it always came back full circle. Austin uses very descriptive writing when she discussed the desert and it’s environment. She talks about the sun, the valley, and the colors of everything. This really gives you a colorful image as to what she is talking about and it is very helpful. This reading is very useful because it mentions water and land use and that is what my group was discussing in this last post for our project.

Other than plants and wildlife some of the topics that apply to the Sonoran Desert is the overall idea that the desert is never empty and contrary to stereotypes is always full of life. This theme is common within writing based on the Sonoran Desert; deserts are more than what people believe it to be.

Guiding Questions
What seems to be the main point of the 2 tales that are related in this excerpt? What about them seems to be particularly characteristic of the Yuma area? What ideas in them might have analogs in other mythologies or religious narratives? Are there aspects of the Native American world view that are very different from that of Western Civilization?

Student Discoveries, 2021
The two tales describe how the region came to be the way that it is. These characteristics are common to the Yuma area and they include, large harvests of non-local seeds, hot sun and dry air, clear skies, and typically no wind. There are obvious connections to biblical stories such as the tale of Noah’s Ark and the creation of man narrative.

It just seems like an old folks tale about how the saguaro cactus came to be and why the desert is so hot, because someone was punishing or threatening to punish the people. Maybe these two stories could be interpreted to mean that, if you don't take care of the environment it'll disappear and you won't be able to live.

We are the Drinker and the Bitter men, we bring with us the gifts of nature and we use them to build something that satisfies only our needs as they are our servants, not our friends, and as such we believe they must do and be what we believe they should. And not only that but we rival other people, and place unbearable conditions to their living and also in nature if they show an inability to accomplish what we ask for. I think these ideas are pretty much present in many indigenous cultures around the world as and as we have seen it has lead to a revolutionary style of writing that want us to reflect on our lifestyle and the importance of our decision.

I think that the point of the 2 tales was to portray the adversities of living in a place that is so hot, yet still being able to push through. Whether it is for better or worse, people can still manage to pull through the harshest of situations.

The Yuma Folktale seems to particularly emphasize the sunniness of Yuma, after all Yuma is the sunniest place on Earth.

The main point of the two folktales is to show that despite the harsh weather of the desert, humans, animals, and plants have survived and adapted to these different changes.

I believe the main point of the 2 tales that are related in this excerpt is that basically you cannot live in a desert without being one with it. What I mean is you have to have an understanding of the desert since it can be a complicated region. I think there were more than one characteristic s of the Yuma area that seemed to be portrayed in the tales, but the one that stood out to me the most or the one that I feel is the more common is the Bitter Man using a specific type of field to harvest and if we know anything about our hometown is that it is known for its variety of harvests.

The Yuma Folktale explains why the desert is so hot and why there are no clouds or rarely any wind. According to the tale due to the bitterness and rude behavior of man we are no longer able to live with the privileges of good weather that doesn’t burn our skin when in direct contact. As someone who's lived in Yuma county her entire life, there are many characteristics of this store that are particular to our region. For example, most of the time we see no clouds in the sky and the sun feels like it’ll burn your skin off if you stand in it for too long. However, I feel like we do get a good amount of wind but not when we compare it to other areas. I think the western civilization's view-point of the desert is more technical when compared to the Native American world viewpoint (more religious viewpoint).

Student Discoveries, 2020
I find that the main point for both the stories is that you cannot live in the desert without the help of someone else. How I relate to it in the Yuma area is that in reality very few of us will be actually be able to live in this area without the help of someone else for example the City of Yuma is the one that supplies us with water.

The main point from both of these folktales is that in this area it can be complicated to harvest. In the first tale, the Bitter Man struggled to have a good harvest season because he fired his two servants. During this time, it was a difficult time, and it was causing him great hardship. In the second tale, the Drinker was harvesting more men into saguaros and using the sun to burn them. There are a couple of similar characteristics from these tales to Yuma. From the first tale, the fact that they had to travel a long way for pines and timber. There isn't a place in Yuma that contains these things. Another thing is the type of field that the Bitter Man was using to harvest. Yuma is known for being able to reap several various things. In the second tale, the saguaros are something that thrives in Yuma or this area. What I got from the main point of these two tales is that despite the harsh weather, you will be able to find plants and animals in the desert. This goes for any other region in the world. Plants and animals have adapted to these types of conditions and can survive when the water is scarce.

They show how much we depend on nature. We depend on the sun for the field and we depend on the wind and clouds for our life. If there was no clouds or wind to move the clouds then we would be doomed. Living on the desert with little to no rain means that every drop is important just like the cloud and wind we’re important to the Bitter Man.

The characteristic related to Yuma is a plant, saguaros, and the heat that occurred due to having dun be closer to the land. This related to mythology due to the fact that the cause of hot summer and formation of earth was determined by a God-like figure punishing the people.

The main point of the two tales is to describe the relentless temperature of these two places but to ensure that that isn’t an obstacle for the wildlife living there. People, animals, and plants have become acclimated to their environments and this is the same for these two places. Even though the temperatures are scorching the organisms living there have become used to it.

The desert is a very hot place to live in, especially for humans and it made me think how do animals and plants survive this weather? Animals and plants do live in the desert and thrive here, surprisingly. It takes a certain plant or animal to be able to withstand the harsh conditions that surround us. Even though is water is scarce here, that doesn't affect the plants and animals as much since they have developed in this environment.

Many of the plants and animals that live in the desert have adapted to its environment. We usually don’t get to much rain in Yuma but when we do it’s amazing. The plants and animals here have to adapt the the weather we have and the dry months we get. Not every animal is fit for that but we do have a large variety of different animals here.

Guiding Questions
Out of only about a dozen literary excerpts that McNamee chose to represent the deserts of North America in his Desert Reader, why do you suppose he chose this one? That is, what does this relatively objective, unadorned prose communicate to us without being particularly opinionated or philosophical?

Student Discoveries, 2021
The fact that this piece was not particularly opinionated or philosophical added to its meaning because I could read it as though I was taking the journey with the author. The ending scene of trying to taking a picture, missing the opportunity, and never getting that opportunity again struck me as a call to worry about taking pictures less, and enjoying moments more.

The Pinacate, I liked much better than most of the other reading in this book, because it isn't too vague and stylistic and just expresses this guys experience during his travels. It shows some dangers of the desert having no water which is why the desert has its stereotypes, but then also expresses his interest in how beautiful his adventure was and how pretty the landscape looks with all the species that do live here plants included. He does this without being too philosophical which is good that this is added in here as it appeals to a different type of reader than the previous entries. It's simple and not overly exaggerated.

It is our pleasure to observe those interacting elements on an ecosystem, he acknowledges nature as an equal and I believe that is what expresses a true sensation of adventure that makes you thrive to explore the outside.

For those who don’t live in the desert, their imagination runs wild in efforts of interpreting McNamee’s writing, but for those who have lived in the desert, it enriches their appreciation of the area in which they live in.

I think that the reason why this excerpt was chosen was because it perfectly encapsulates the idea of what people think a desert is versus what it actually is. While many think of a desert as empty land with no life, the excerpt is able to prove those ideas wrong without having to get philosophical about it. There is no need to search for the beauty and uniqueness of the desert that many believe to be absent, all you have to do is go out and see it for themselves.

I think that McNamee chose this specific reading to represent the deserts of North America because of the way the author describes the desert. Since McNamee is a person that shows a lot of respect and admiration towards nature, it would only make sense that he would choose a reading that can portray the beauty and history of the region. Lumholtz writing style is similar to McNamee; they both a descriptive way of writing that is able to capture the reader's attention and personify life in the desert.

Out of only about a dozen literary excerpts that McNamee chose to represent the deserts of North America in his Desert Reader I believe he chose this one because it is similar to his writing style and it shares the same passion he feels towards the desert. This was very descriptive, and it portrays everything the same way his writing does as well.

I think McNamee chose to represent the desert of North America in his Desert Reader because of the diversity and versatility the topic can offer. There are many misconceptions about this region McNamee wants to clear up. It is not just a hot dried-up plain that has no thriving plants (flowers) or thousands of species of animals. There is so much to study and see that provides McNamee with many topics to talk about.

Student Discoveries, 2020
I believe why McNamee choose this story was because maybe he was able to relate with Lumholtz’s love for the desert with the way he felt with it as well besides the great information and journey Lumholtz did. I believe that McNamee chose this excerpt because of how detailed the reading is. It may not portray the desert as something that beautiful or exotic like this writer believes it to be, but it does give an example of the desert. From reading this passage, I was able to think of a specific area near Yuma, where I could see these things. We have the opportunity to experience all of this and not have to travel that far. Something this simple and unadorned is close enough for us to experience it. /Aileen

I believe McNamee chose to represent the deserts of North America using this article because it captures the history and beauty of the desert way before his time; way before invasive species had altered the ecosystem. Not only does he give an example of the desert, but it portrays a personal experience in which he fell in love with the desert.

An area can be greatly impacted by the culture of the people who live on it. People that know how to depend on nature are probably going to find ways to make every plant important.

I believe that McNamee might have chosen this excerpt because it is very similar to his writing style. There was a lot of detail in this texts that allows the audience to picture what is being described, McNamee also uses this in his writing style. The point of this excerpt is to share with us the love they have towards the desert in a story-like way.

Out of only about a dozen literary excerpts that McNamee chose to represent the deserts of North America in his Desert Reader, McNamee chose this one because he can relate to it. It contains the same views but also has the same descriptive writing the McNamee has that personifies the water and life of the desert.

McNamee chose to discuss the deserts that reside close to us. This excerpt truly captures the meaning of the desert, without it being this vivid beautiful image that we always see it as. Before coming to Arizona, I never was able to envision the desert, but now that I live here, I've been able to see things first hand for myself.

I think McNamee picked this story because it closely related to his own writing. It is very descriptive and it gives an experience of what the desert was before his time. Living in Yuma I think it is very important to remember it is a beautiful place and we have so many opportunities to go and see different landmarks here. I feel the objective of this reading was to encourage a loving relationship with the desert while also showing how great areas within the desert truly are.

Guiding Questions
What themes seem to be found in this piece that are common to the story from the Yuma Indians? Asked another way, what can we conclude from these very short excerpts about the world view of the Native American, as distinct from the European? What's actually happening in this story, anyway?

Student Discoveries, 2021
From these readings, I have gotten the impression that the views of the Native Americans are to wait for what they need. That is, they have religious narratives where they are seeking something, and then it is provided for them. I feel that the European or Western way of thinking is to alter the land and bring about what you want yourself, rather than waiting for the powers that be to supply it.

What can be concluded about Native American people is that they believed that there was only a way to follow defined by the route on the gathering of salt, life becomes a journey to connect and adapt to nature and they express their love for nature by singing, dancing, and observing the preserved state of nature. While Western Cultures believe there are innumerable ways in which a person can adore nature, however, they all agree that what must be preserved is the moment in which they connected with it that often leads to getting trophies and mementos, the connection to nature must be recorded in their personal memory while on Native American cultures the memory must forever reside on those trails, those trees, and in nature.

In the Native American folklore, there always seems to be a direct relationship with man and nature. Nature is represented not only as it is but through various representations of higher power.

I think that we can conclude from the short excerpts that the world view of the Native Americans was that they were a part of nature and were living alongside it. This is very distinct from European world view that saw nature as a force to be tamed and controlled.

A theme found in this piece and is common to the story of the Yuma Indians is the importance of water for humans. In this story, the Native Americans were struggling to get water since it hardly rained. The rainmaker noticed their struggle and decided to help them by making it rain. This issue showed how much humans depend on the natural resources of the environment and helps us understand the value of water.

We can conclude from these very short excerpts the world view of the Native American is that they deeply care about nature and their land. Basically, what happens is the Native Americans were in a tough situation since there was no rain and they needed water for their harvest. Natura was saw as “high power” which could give them what they need which it eventually rains for them giving them plenty of water for their harvesting.

The story “salt gathering” is about someone who see their guardian who brings prosperity and water to the land. The song mentioned “earth spongy with moisture” by the end meaning in the end they were able to get water from all directions which filled ditches to the brim. As I mentioned, I think the world view of Native Americans is more spiritual. In general, I feel like they are more in touch with nature and can genially appreciate its beauty and use without abusing its resources.

Student Discoveries, 2020
What we can conclude is that they worshipped the rain. In this story what is happening is that the Rain Maker came down and saw that the Native Americans were struggling so he then made it rain to help them.

The themes that it connects to is the short stories of the Bitter Man and The Drinker. By comparing all these three pieces, I can conclude that they care about their land and respected nature. They knew that they would have a hard time harvesting if they didn't have rain. What happens in this short story is that the Native Americans were struggling because there wasn't any rain in sight. After they saw the Native Americans struggling, they decided to help and let it rain for them. The theme seems to connect from the stories of The Drinker and the Bitter Man. After reading these short experts, I can conclude that they each shared the same respect and love for nature. They even captured the importance of water in the stories.

They all depended on nature, like we still do today but they saw nature as a higher power that could make choices.

In this course, we have focused many of our in-class discussions on water use and how essential it is and it must be used wisely. In this case, harvesting needs water, the Native American was worried about how he would get water in order to harvest. It was then provided for him to use.

The themes of the Bitter Man and the Drinker collide with their love for their land, nature, water, etc. They both closely relate to the water aspect and in this class we have also related a lot of our learning content to the usage of water.

The themes throughout this piece connects to The Drinker and the Bitter Man. These pieces tie together very well because they include water and the love for nature that they all have. Land and water have been a major factor in our class and I definitely felt that in these three pieces.

The themes from the stories The Drinker and the Butter Man seem to share the same love for nature. It even stressed the importance of water. See I how many different readings we have read it is very important to me to see how much people need to value water more.

Description:
Professor Monica Ketchum has an extensive knowledge of history and gave an insightful presentation into the Columbian Exchange in the Sonoran Desert.

Monica Ketchum gave a presentation on the human impact in the Sonoran Desert along with the notion of the myth of pristine wilderness she mentioned this Eurocentric belief that before the colonization of the Americas the wilderness was largely populated, and there was barely any perceptible human disturbance, this was a central element to the presentation.

The history of the Sonoran Desert holds a rich, innovating background that has helped shape the Sonoran Desert we know of today. Professor Monica Ketchum presented us with a serious of interesting information regarding the history of the Sonoran Desert. From the Colombian exchange to the five-C’s of Arizona, all the way to present day, the Sonoran Desert has undergone tremendous transformations within the last century.

Monica Ketchum gave us a an extremely interesting look into the history of the Sonoran Desert and how it reached the place which it sits in today. It is no exaggeration to say that the Sonoran Desert is nothing like it was before, and Ketchum was able to walk us through and explain every step along the way.

Reflection:
There exists a false belief in “pristine wilderness,” the idea that wilderness was pure before humans populated it. This concept of pristine wilderness is one that I think many of us assume to be true, especially in our journeys into the most “remote” corners of the world. The truth is that what may seem “remote” has been influenced by something or someone in one way or another. The topic of the Columbian exchange also brings up an environmental issue that we have talked about before about bringing new species of plants and animals into an area and how that affects the native population. The Columbian exchange resulted in many diseases for both sides bringing smallpox to the natives and syphilis to the Euro-Americans, but this could have also been an issue for animals and plants they brought along.

...Whether or not is there a similar notion about wilderness in actuality, is there some kind of modern myth of pristine wilderness related to the state of the environment? And if so, why? I thought about this as she gave the presentation, and the basis of them was that a large group of people not only in the United States but in the whole world not believes in climate change, even though the evidence pointing at it states that is a fact.

On one hand, there is a feeling of appreciation for the sacrifices that have been made of the land. Without these advancements in technology, we wouldn’t be living the life we have right now. However, it also bring about a certain despair. Why must we take complete control of everything we hold and encounter? Why must we make nature work for us? Why can’t we work alongside with it?

Which is fair to do considering how much changed once Europeans came to the land. It reminds me of a documentary my dad showed me and my sister called “The Great Indian Wars: 1540 - 1890”. It is a great documentary talking about the build up to the wars between Native and Europeans as well as the many conflicts that happened through the ages for land and resources.

I have heard about the Eurocentric belief in the pristine wilderness that prior to Europeans coming to the Americans, the area was sparsely populated, and indigenous population interacted with the environment quite different and left it somewhat untouched. To my surprise Professor Ketchum mentioned that this myth has been perpetuating through the centuries and was used as a justification for civilizing the world, especially the American world.

One myth that she mentioned was the “Myth of the Pristine Wilderness” which was basically the belief that the Americas were a sparsely populated wilderness, a world where humans did not disturb. I personally believe this myth because I have always thought of nature being here before us and how we are the reason nature is deteriorating slowly.

Professor Monica Ketchum has lived and experienced the diversity of the Sonoran Desert. This beautiful desert has been impacted very early on by humans during the western expansion or the Spanish colonial period. It is believed the indigenous population was much more conscious of the environment and left the place untouched. During the 1500s and 1600s, the Europeans perception of “untouched” wilderness was very different from what we think today. They believed the “empty” land was a waste land. They wanted to cultivate the land and make use of the space. After the modern shift, the humans were able to benefit from the resources however our land suffered for this. One of the problems that arose was erosion as a result of irrigation systems, roads, and field construction.

Description:
Ellen Riek once attended a program in Philadelphia in which the students separated into groups and explored the land using their senses to describe what they see and why they see it that way. The curriculum was really powerful for her and made her who she is today.

In this program a group of people would break into sections and each section had a different area of the city. They would go to neighborhoods, restaurants, stores, and areas that were not as popular as areas that attracted people from other places. They were supposed to document the area and then return to the group and tell everyone their experiences.

She shared her experience with us trying to explain the idea of "sense of place" which is what makes a place that place. And she said that many times when we travel we really forget to feel in a different place and we go to common places that we normally see in our place as it is.

Professor Ellen Riek has a background in Cultural Anthropology and with this she tries to look back on history and make it not look so “dry”. Something that is very important to Riek is the experience people get when they travel to different cities. She was looking more at what people are interested in seeing. When people travel they go to some of the more popular places in town that everyone knows about but Riek wants to show people what the community is really about. She talked about people going out and trying to find what things people in the community normally do and to look at different places that make the community. For example Riek mentioned people going to the mall when they come to Yuma. Instead she wants people to think of going to Downtown Yuma instead and seeing all the local businesses and restaurants we have here. This she mentions is what people really come to look for the “sense of place” we have here in Yuma. Riek mentioned a class that used to be offered at NAU and throughout the class the students would go to local places in the community and learn about the area. In doing this the students were able to get hands on experience on things they didn't know about. This helped the students come up with a “sense of place” for the area they were exploring. Something Riek asked was “What makes a place meaningful to you?” and I think this is important to remember when talking about sense of place.

Reflection:
Even before this presentation, I was confused on what the term "sense of place" meant. I have a general idea of what this means but after this guest speaker, it really broaden my knowledge on this topic. I tried to connect all that she said to previous readings and presentations. I concluded that this phrase means its the feeling you get from a place. It made me think if I had a place that made me feel good, and I found mine. The times that I have traveled to this place I try not to use my phone, but somehow I always do. After this guest speaker, I would like to try to take advantage of the places that I travel to. By reducing the amount of time spent on our cellular devices, we will be able to appreciate our surroundings more. We have been referring to a sense of place since the beginning of this course and to this day it is something that crosses my mind on occasions. After this meeting with Professor Riek, it makes a little more sense although it does not have an actual definition. To my understanding it is just a place where you feel comfortable to be, I can also think of it as not just a place, but even people where you feel you belong.

So essentially, we think about what it means to have a sense of place and things that contribute to a sense of place (meaning). I personally think it is the experience you get from that place, the people there, what it means to you and the feelings that are evoked from that place. So essentially all things help create a sense of place but we don’t always recognized and appreciate this. Listening to her talk about how different experiences and different writer's really change the narrative of the story, was super interesting. I tended to be someone who if it is information coming to me through a book from someone with all these degrees and experience on the topic, I normally wouldn't question it. But the fact is we're all human, we all have a subliminal bias hidden in us somewhere and sometimes that changes how we perceive certain things. Ellen Riek really gave me some perspective on what a sense of place is and should mean to someone as an individual. Thinking of a place that gives you a certain feeling and creates this self-awareness really helps someone determine their sense of place in this world.

I thought all of her information was very insightful and it helped better understand what a “sense of place” means and the different interpretations people can have.

This idea she has shared is amazing and couldn't be more timely. We must become connected to our "places". We must become part of the ecological communities like Leopold suggested. There is no other option and the time is now. Sustainability starts with learning about and caring for our local lands. If we care for them they will care for us, and maybe some healing can occur.

As the presentation continued, Riek explained that people only see the surface level of places, and they fail to experience the culture of the city itself - I totally agree with Riek on this! Personally, I have noticed this problem with Mexicali, a city in Baja California I have a lot of history with. For example, Mexicali is commonly known as an industrial city and is attributed as one of the most polluted cities in Mexico besides the capital. Whenever I talk to someone about Mexicali that is familiar with city they always reply with “oh, that place is ugly”, or “there is nothing to do there”. However, since I grew up visiting this city at least once a month due to family, I must strongly disagree. Mexicali without a doubt has some of the best food variation I have ever had. From tacos to carne asada to the delicious Chinese food – Mexicali has a large history of Chinese immigrants and therefore has plenty of Chinese restaurants to choose from. On top of the food culture though, Mexicali also has some beautiful scenery hidden behind the Coca-Cola factory and the Oxxos. From the forest of the city to the dunes outside of the city, there is some diamonds in the rough to be found. One of the most important things I took from that story was that when we go to a new place, we only look at the surface and the most popular places. In reality to truly capture the essence, or Sense of Place, of a location we should look beyond the most touristy places and not leave out the hidden gems found by exploring and connecting with the place we are in.

When it comes to our discussion with Ellen Riek we learned a variety of things such as her view on sense of place. Her thoughts on this was that it was a sense of belonging or placement that an individual feels in the habitat that we live in. This type of view that she had made me realize the way we ourselves view our importance to the environment in the sense of the way that we play a part to it

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