Hunting

For all the moral and conservation issues it brings up, hunting seems to be part of the human condition. Like cats, wolves, and some of our other primate cousins, early humans depended on hunting for survival. For them, it was not a matter of sport but necessity. But what about today? Are we above the influence of such brutish, primal instincts, or is it only natural that we follow them?

For indigenous communities, it's understandable that people must kill animals for food, and in third-world countries, the harvest of bushmeat may sometimes be the only means of making money. But what about those people who hunt for sport? Is this morally wrong?

In the past, I would have said yes, but as I learn more, it becomes harder to stick with one opinion. Many of the country's greatest naturalists and conservationists (John James Audubon and Teddy Roosevelt) have been hunters themselves. For them, hunting was not only a sport but a means of connecting to the natural world. Even today, hunting is often used as an excuse to get outdoors and enjoy nature. Contrary to what some liberal anti-hunting groups may think, the fun is not focused on killing an animal, but rather finding it, coming face to face with it, and having those long hours of waiting finally pay off.

I've noticed recently that if you compare hunting and birdwatching, the two are pretty much the same thing minus a gun. Birdwatching, which has only become popularized in the latest half- century, may have actually originated from hunting. Hunters and birders alike stalk their quarry, use the same kind of patience, and perhaps enjoy the same sort of adrenaline rush.

This adrenaline rush, which is almost impossible to describe in words, is probably connected to the same hunting instinct of our predecessors. Leah experiences this exact feeling when she kills her first Bushbuck in the Poisonwood Bible. Sickness mixed with heart-pounding excitement. Sensory overload. It's instinct, I tell you. Hunting may be controversial, but that doesn't mean people shouldn't try to understand it. There are too many kinds of hunting for it to be lumped into the singular category of "bloodsport". Those who say hunting is cruel to animals yet continue to eat hamburgers should visit a factory farm, or at the very least, know where their meat comes from. Like Adah (Poisonwood Bible character) said, "The death of something living is the price of our own survival, and we pay it again and again. We have no choice. It is the one solemn promise every life on earth is born and bound to keep."

Update

If you've been following, you'll notice I've changed the title of this blog. Previously, it was Our Living, Breathing Roots, but I figured I'd change it to "Roots in Nature". Such a name is much simpler and friendlier-sounding.

Admiration vs. Knowledge (and a book by Gary Larson)

Today, after two classes on the same subject (Barbara Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible), I decided I would catch up on some reading in the school library. No sooner had I settled in than I noticed an interesting looking book on a shelf. A short, paperback book with a cartoonified worm on the front. Now I'll admit I am one to be easily distracted, but this was an illustrated story by one of my favorite cartoonists, Gary Larson. Gary Larson, if you don't know him, has created countless cartoons- often nature-themed- for his hilarious series known as The Far Side.

This short, clever tale, titled "There's a Hair in my Dirt!", is centered on a family of earthworms at a dinner table. It begins when a a young worm (the son) finds a hair in his food. He becomes upset and disheartened with life, so father worm decides to cheer him up with a story.

The story --which is fraught with Larson's unique sense of humor-- involves a beautiful maiden as she walks through a forest. On each page, she observes some aspect of nature, and unknowingly remarks on how wonderful it is. She sees birds singing and thinks they are happily greeting the day, when in reality, they are shouting pick-up lines and obscenities. She also sees dragonflies and believes them to be "dancing" when they are actually hunting down and dismembering airborne insects. At one point, she observes a snake about to consume a mouse, beats it to death, and saves the mouse- which ironically kills her by transmitting a deadly disease.

In any case, this story challenges many human misconceptions about nature. These include the notion that predators are "evil", birds sing when they're happy, and that nature exists for the sole purpose of looking pretty. What I find particularly impressive about this tale is that it provides ecological facts while maintaining enough humor to captivate anyone.

What I also find particularly funny is how humans are portrayed through this foolish, presuming maiden. Indeed, her example shows that just about anyone can appreciate nature- and while this is generally a good thing, it also shows how blind we can be. Indeed, some people are all too willing to jump to conclusions. This type of ignorance not only blinds us, but also poses danger to other species. In certain western states, for example, wolves are still associated with a negative image and KILLED because people are unable to see their role in the ecosystem. They'll say wolves destroy livestock and go apeshit about eradicating them- even though this has been shown to have negative consequences. In the northern Chicago suburbs where I live, wolves have been exterminated, and the result is an explosion in deer, overgrazing due to deer, and an endless profusion of deer-related diseases.

This theme of knowledge vs ignorance applies not only to nature, but to the rest of the world as well. Like Reverend Nathaniel from the Poisonwood Bible, the woman in the story is good-intentioned, but ignorant and incapable of grasping knowledge, so she ends up causing more harm than good to the world around her (killing a beneficial predator- the snake).

On a more personal level, you can only get you so far by admiring nature's beauty. To truly appreciate the natural world, one must be willing learn about it and make sense of it. Only then can we make sense of the universe and see ourselves in the bigger picture.

Nature's role in the Poisonwood Bible

If you've ever read the Poisonwood Bible, nature is a constant, ever-present theme. Flora and fauna are mentioned on almost every page, from okapis to snakes, hippos, elephants, poisonous trees, otherworldy insects, delicate flowers, tarantulas, monkeys, and crocodiles.

More interestingly, each of the main characters seems to possess varying degrees of connectedness towards nature. Leah, being the most inquisitive, outdoorsy, and adventurous of the family, is also perhaps the most inspired by natural world. She is driven by a sort of childlike curiosity and desire- to climb trees, explore, take note of local customs, and soak up every little detail of her surroundings. As she recalls before arriving at Kilanga: "My heart pounded, for I expected everything: jungle flowers, wild roaring beasts. God's kingdom in its pure, unenlightened glory." (17)

Leah's burning curiosity and interest in the natural world seem reminiscent of Edward O. Wilson's famous "Biophilia Hypothesis"-- the instinctive bond between humans and other living systems. Unlike her mother and sisters, she does not simply observe and appreciate nature where it appears. She seeks it and directly interacts with it: searching for monkeys, climbing trees, cutting up fruit for Methuselah, or catching grasshoppers for Leon (106).

There are two important outcomes of Leah's relationship with nature. One is the fact that she gets the most out of the Congo. Where her father is pulling his hair out over the non-cooperative Congolese, her sister Rachel is wishing she were back at home, and her mother is constantly worried about the family, Leah is saying "Oh, it's a heavenly paradise in the Congo and sometimes I just want to live here forever." (103).

By becoming enthralled with the Congo, Leah is also brought into conflict with some of her traditional beliefs. Part of her wants to be a good Christian girl and make her father proud, where another part of her simply wants to run wild and be free. Just after stating how she could "climb trees just like the boys" and eat guavas "till the juice runs down her shirt", she says "Only I am fifteen now...and must think about maturing into a Christian lady" (103).

Bugguide.net

Anyone with the slightest interest in nature will know the local deer, squirrels, cardinals, and raccoons, but perhaps know nothing about the most diverse animal group in the world: Insects. Insects are everywhere- in bathrooms, kitchens, and lawns, you name it. A mere garden or yard may hold dozens of species. Insects, however, do not seem to attract the same kind of attention as other creatures, say birds. We have birdfeeders. Bird conservation groups. And who could forget the sight of birdwatchers- binoculars at the ready- tripping over each other as they struggle to get a glimpse of a rare species. Somehow I can't see people doing that for a beetle or bumblebee. The only people who can learn, observe, and be knowledgeable about insects, it seems, are professional entomologists.

Thanks to technology, that statistic seems ready to change. At Bugguide.net, any interested person may create an account, submit photos of insects, and have them identified by an expert. Better yet, these photos are used to create a sort of online field guide and database. This not only provides people with a great source of knowledge, but also helps scientists studying these creatures. Any odd-looking bug that a hiker stumbles across has the potential to be a new or poorly-studied species.

Now that have a Bugguide account of my own, it's as if I've suddenly found new meaning in the world. The thought that every photo of mine somehow contributes to science never ceases to bring me a delightful, giddy feeling. Analyzing this from a broader perspective, it's this feeling that motivates scientists- or better yet- motivates humanity to discover.

This butterfly, which I photographed in my yard, is now part of the website's official guide. It's a Harvester- which is pretty rare and unusual for where I live.

Hello

If you've ever taken a biology class, you'll probably have heard of "evolutionary adaptation", "communities", "intraspecific competition", "commensalism" and other like terms that describe where certain organisms fit into the big picture. The spider dwelling on the wall behind your computer, for instance, is an small, eight-legged arthropod of the class arachnida. It is an insectivore, and like any other organism, plays a specific role in the local ecosystem (your basement).

But consider this: Where do you fit in? Where do humans fit in? Have we truly risen above the laws of nature? Are we exceptional beings destined to rule the planet, or are we just bundles of genetic material?

But before we address those questions, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Ari, an 18-year old student in his senior year of high school. I've been interested in science and the natural world for as long as I can remember. I delight in observing nature, which has led to a lifelong passion for birds, insects, and other forms of life. In addition to this, my academic background has brought me knowledge and a keen interest in the world of humanities. By writing this blog, I hope to blend these diverse interests and find common ground between nature and the humanities.

The main question I'll be addressing is what role nature, biology, and our own evolutionary background play in people's everday lives. What is instinctual, and what is learned? Which behaviors and habits of ours have their roots in evolution? What is the connection between humans and nature? How does nature affect the human mindset?

With newfound concepts and fields of study such as eco-psychology, perhaps there are answers to these fundamental questions.

Anyways, enough of that. Happy blogging!

-Ari