I would say, some human influence doesn’t stop me from enjoying any particular scene. This is New Jersey – perhaps not the nature capital of the world. If a bunch of trees are growing close together and there’s a squirrel living there, you’ve got viable wildlife habitat. If a park has few preserved acres of forest, it is enough for me and the proximity to human habitation does not mar the beauty of the benevolent trees. But to put in the strip mall, it will all have to come down. What is the correct road to take between human needs and the preservation of natural areas? In my next post, I will examine how philosophy has helped me to understand our own harmonious existence with the natural world.
What are aesthetics? It is the study of our minds and emotions with regard to when and where we feel a sense of beauty (Dictionary.com). We are each entitled to our own notion of the beautiful, the sublime and the not so much so. I find the tree above, which stands in Duke Island Park in Bridgewater NJ, pleasing in all seasons. We are all free to form our own opinion and this freedom can shape our perceptions and thus our everyday lives. Want to be happy? Try gazing at a beautiful vista. Need a moment of tranquility, or even an hour perfect peace? A lotus blossom, a sunset, or trees in the summer sunlight can provide us with such emotions.
Of course, the turn of the seasons will also influence our relish of the outdoors. Which do you like best? Mine is autumn, because my birthday falls in early October. Here it is photo of a place called Iona Island at Bear Mountain State park in Bear Mountain, NY in November of last year.
In this next shot, it is winter at Washington Valley Reservoir, in Bridgewater township. I understand that temperatures will be low enough this weekend to cover the entire reservoir in ice.
As much as I enjoy the outdoors in all conditions, I must say I am missing the warmth and bright colors of spring and summer. Here is a species of Magnolia in full bloom at Colonial Park in Franklin Township, NJ.
And here it is summer at the Sourland Mountain Preserve in Hillsborough/Montgomery townships, NJ.
The only thing better than a beautiful vista in solitude is some company, and the best sort for the intrepid hiker is wildlife. I believe this is a Blue Huron (Ardea herodias) and below are some Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula) at two different visits to Colonial Park.
I can’t resist sharing this chipmunk (Tamias minimus) I encountered in the Washington Valley Reservoir, just down the trail from the Hawk Watch Area (Newmans Lane off of Vosseller Avenue in Bridgewater, NJ).
While not everyone’s favorite reptile, snakes impart a particular thrill for me on a hike. I believe this is an Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus sauritus) I was pleased to be fast enough to photograph in the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Morris County, NJ, back in 2007.
Do you find snakes beautiful and exciting? My mom sure doesn’t! Some shots that I have in my archives are difficult to classify as aesthetically pleasing or otherwise. What constitutes a natural aesthetic? We’ll stick to scenes that are arguably pleasing for this discussion. This next image is the man-made pond in the Rudolf W. Van der Goot Rose Garden at Colonial Park. Is this goldfish a part of a wild or natural vista? I understand goldfish are a species of that has been domesticated, like cows and chickens, for thousands of years (Wilkapedia, “Goldfish’).
What about this lantern? This particular spot no longer exists, as the Duke Gardens (Doris Dukes’s personal greenhouses full of display gardens) permanently closed on May 25, 2008. I visited these greenhouses many times before the end, falling in love with the exquisite scenes created by the perfectly arranged flowers, plants and trees. I love gardens, and I miss these greatly. Does the roof of the greenhouse in the background remove the aesthetic from a natural vista, shaped primarily by wind and rain, to an entirely man-made one, the same as a cityscape?
The distinction between natural and man-made aesthetics is enormously important to the environmental movement – Beautiful scenery is a major benefit of woods, streams, prairies, mountains, etc. A landscape that is pleasing to the eye is a major argument for keeping natural areas natural or at least undeveloped (when other reasons aren’t enough). Environmentalists often face the argument that almost every spot on earth has at one time or is currently actively influenced by humankind (so another shopping mall won’t matter).
(Twilight, Colonial Park, NJ 11/29/08)
