2008 Woodie Awards
Fern Tor disgraced by garbage
Haley Neddermann
Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
If a Marist student feels the urge to escape from the constant barrage of technology that plagues their everyday lives - Facebook, instant messaging, cell phones - all they have to do, according to the college's website, is visit Fern Tor, and there they will be able to find a place to relax and unwind.
While the idea of finding a little peace and quiet sounds like a nice idea, the reality of the situation is much different than the idyllic, peaceful woods presented on the college's webpage: "Students often find a place of their own to relax." Upon entering Fern Tor several times for the purpose of completing an assignment for my environmental issues class, I encountered several things that sadly only reinforced the increasing encroachment of technology, and the apathy associated with it, into our everyday lives.
The first unnatural sight I encountered was a mess of felled branches and limbs of trees around the border of the arboretum, as well as an area of cleared land further in on the side of the path. My impression was previously that an arboretum existed for the purpose of protecting and preserving a natural area. So why are these trees being chopped down? Their absence certainly doesn't encourage a feeling of peace and tranquility. Rather, it brings about the terrible realization that technology really has seeped into every aspect of our lives, aided by the utter lack of concern for maintaining a healthy natural environment.
Another sad spectacle was a cascade of garbage tumbling down the slope from behind a private residence bordering on Fern Tor - beer cans, plastic cups and chip bags nestled among the layer of fallen leaves as if they belonged there. But they simply don't. Their presence interferes and takes away from what should be an area reserved for the appreciation of natural beauty, in addition to encouraging its protection. Fern Tor is not safe from the outside world, and it is surely not "untouched by civilization and technology" as the college website would like us to believe. If a small area of land dedicated for the protection of nature is treated without consideration, surrounded by all sorts of distractions from its original purity and beauty, where can anyone find a place to just let go of the monotony of daily life? People have been gradually losing their connection to the natural world due to the rise in technology over the years, but now the natural world is succumbing to the ever-growing dependence on technology, and society as a whole may lose that connection for good.
Fern Tor reflects only a small portion of this epidemic that has spread to almost every area of the world. The fraying of the bond between nature and humans cannot be denied; the debatable issue is how it can be repaired. By pushing the existence and importance of Fern Tor further into the consciousness of Marist students, appreciation for the environment will begin to grow on a global scale as well. Only with knowledge can this college community make a difference and move to counteract the problem, so that the next generation doesn't accept that used napkins and plastic straws are part of the natural scenery, and return serenity back to places like Fern Tor.
While the idea of finding a little peace and quiet sounds like a nice idea, the reality of the situation is much different than the idyllic, peaceful woods presented on the college's webpage: "Students often find a place of their own to relax." Upon entering Fern Tor several times for the purpose of completing an assignment for my environmental issues class, I encountered several things that sadly only reinforced the increasing encroachment of technology, and the apathy associated with it, into our everyday lives.
The first unnatural sight I encountered was a mess of felled branches and limbs of trees around the border of the arboretum, as well as an area of cleared land further in on the side of the path. My impression was previously that an arboretum existed for the purpose of protecting and preserving a natural area. So why are these trees being chopped down? Their absence certainly doesn't encourage a feeling of peace and tranquility. Rather, it brings about the terrible realization that technology really has seeped into every aspect of our lives, aided by the utter lack of concern for maintaining a healthy natural environment.
Another sad spectacle was a cascade of garbage tumbling down the slope from behind a private residence bordering on Fern Tor - beer cans, plastic cups and chip bags nestled among the layer of fallen leaves as if they belonged there. But they simply don't. Their presence interferes and takes away from what should be an area reserved for the appreciation of natural beauty, in addition to encouraging its protection. Fern Tor is not safe from the outside world, and it is surely not "untouched by civilization and technology" as the college website would like us to believe. If a small area of land dedicated for the protection of nature is treated without consideration, surrounded by all sorts of distractions from its original purity and beauty, where can anyone find a place to just let go of the monotony of daily life? People have been gradually losing their connection to the natural world due to the rise in technology over the years, but now the natural world is succumbing to the ever-growing dependence on technology, and society as a whole may lose that connection for good.
Fern Tor reflects only a small portion of this epidemic that has spread to almost every area of the world. The fraying of the bond between nature and humans cannot be denied; the debatable issue is how it can be repaired. By pushing the existence and importance of Fern Tor further into the consciousness of Marist students, appreciation for the environment will begin to grow on a global scale as well. Only with knowledge can this college community make a difference and move to counteract the problem, so that the next generation doesn't accept that used napkins and plastic straws are part of the natural scenery, and return serenity back to places like Fern Tor.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
RB
posted 11/10/07 @ 9:53 PM EST
I hope that garbage isn't coming from Brother Don's house...lol. It's too bad it's in this mess. Maybe S.E.E.D. can organize a campus cleanup and get other students involved? I haven't gone to fern tor in a while but it really is one of the nicer hidden places on campus and is worth conserving. (Continued…)
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