A Land Remembered Blog

A Land Remembered Blog- Character Toby Cypress 

In the book A Land Remembered, by Patrick D. Smith, I chose to write about a character named Toby Cypress. Toby was half Indian because of his mother, and half white because of his father.  He was made fun of by his peers because he had a white father, but the adults respected him because he was a “MacIvey.” He served as a tribal leader and did many good things for his people.

Sol MacIvey, was his half-brother whom shared the same father as Toby, except he was a white man because he had a different mother. At one point in life, they got along and shared great memories but as years passed Toby grew angry with Sol because he destroyed the Indian land reservations that he loved, and replaced it with chaos. Toby and his half-brother went many years without speaking but right before Sol died, he paid Toby and visit and apologized for all he had done to the land. Toby forgave Sol and wished that things could have been different between them, but he knew it could not because they were from two different worlds.

           

                                       http://ww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2011/04/29/9208897/DSC1059.jpg

The character Toby Cypress had a great relationship with the environment and natural world. He was very in touch with his love for nature and he truly cared about the preservation of it. He said that when he died he wanted to stay in the swamp where he belongs. He had two reservations left by the time he grew old, but most of the land that he grew up around was destroyed which really bothered him. He loved nature, and animals, and believed in keeping them safe.

                                                      http://www.american-state-parks.com/images/Florida-Everglades.jpg

Toby experiences a strong sense of place in the woods, and swamps. He loves nature and I believe that this is where he feels most content. I think that this is his sense of place mostly because I knew how angry it made him when it got destroyed. He cared a lot about nature and animals, to a point that he didn’t speak to his half-brother for most of his life because he had destroyed the land that he loved so much.  He left a legacy behind by becoming a leader of his tribe and teaching others about their culture and beliefs.

                         

http://20thcenturyaviationmagazine.com/john-stemple-page/apache-princess-dwells-in-the-land-of-the-seminoles/

I suppose I can relate to this character in a few different ways. Similar to him, I have half-brothers whom we share the same father and different mothers. I believe that this affected our relationship because we were raised very differently, which caused us not to see eye to eye on many things. I also have a hostile relationship with some of my half-brothers for reasons that I am not sure of other than them resenting my mom for “taking their dad away from them.” I also am similar to Toby because I love nature and feel a sense of place when I y am outdoors in the environment that I grew up in. I also have strong beliefs like him. 

The Land Ethic by Aldo Leopold Blog

"The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land." pg 60

                                               

                                                   http://ecoganesha.blogspot.com/2012/11/hinduism-and-nature-respect-earth.html

"In short, a land ethic changes the role of Homo Sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it, It implies respect for his fellow-members, and also respect for the community as such." pg 60

I think that the problem with our community, is what we define as ethical and the beliefs we have about what is "right" and "wrong" behavior and actions. People who are a part of a community have a say in what happens, or they at least should have certain rights than those who are not in a community. People in a community cannot be treated indiscriminately.

Leopold says it perfectly when he states: "including the land, waters, and animals in our community would alter our attitudes and behaviors toward them". If we really included these essential components to our community like they deserve, we may learn to appreciate them and respect them the way they deserve.                     
   http://www.nandos.com.au/about-us/doing-right-thing/caring-about-environment

"All ethics so far evolved rest upon a single premise: that the individual is a member of a community of interdependent parts. His instincts prompt him to compete for his place in the community, but his ethics also prompt him to cooperate ( perhaps in order that there may be a place to compete for." pg 60

      

If we learned to see the land in which we live, as a member of our community, then we could learn how to give it the appreciation it deserves. Looking at the world in this new light helps us to realize that the land, soil, water and earth we have in our community is the key component to everything we need in life.  We would be able to understand the impact that our decisions have on this member of the community.

 By treating it as a member instead of as property, we would understand that the soil, water, and land we are graciously given has already done so much for our community. 

Treating everyone and everything as a member can teach us to not take advantage of what we are naturally given on earth.We would see the earth as a member, such as family, whom we love and want to treat with respect instead of property.

Louv Nature Deficit Disorder

  "Ironically, the detachment of education from the physical         world not only coincided with the dramatic rise in life-       threatening childhood obesity but also with a growing body of evidence that links physical exercise and experience in nature to mental acuity and concentration"

 - (page 2,Richard Louv)

 http://www.fairchildgarden.org/Articles/id/777/read/Society-too-disconnected-with-nature/

"Studies suggest that nature may be useful as a therapy for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), used with or, when appropriate, even replacing medications or behavioral therapies."  -(page 2,Richard Louv)

These quotes mixed with my own personal experiences raising my daughter have brought to my attention the need for people to spend time outdoors and be in-sync with nature.

I have a five year old with a ton of energy, who is VERY smart and a true leader in her class. The problem is that she has a lot of trouble staying focused for long periods of time, and consequently, gets distracted in class and ends up talking when she isn't suppose to, or something along those lines.

She never gets in trouble for anything serious,  but every now and then i'll get a note sent home from her teacher that she was "shouting out" or "talking when the teacher was talking, and not staying on task." 

With that being said, I am aware that her school only allows the kindergartners to go outside for about 10 minutes a day IF THAT. When I found this out I KNEW that it was going to be a problem for my daughter with her attention span.

  

                                 

                                                                  http://topnews.ae/content/210780-adhd-kids-linked-their-age-difference

ADHD - "Children with the syndrome are restless and have trouble paying attention, listening, following directions, and focusing on tasks." (page 3)

                                          

                                      http://consciouslifenews.com/3-powerful-natural-remedies-adhd-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/

The restorative Environment - "Even without corroborating evidence or institutional help, many parents notice significant changes in their children's stress levels and hyperactivity when they spend time outside." (page 4)

                                    

http://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/what-you-can-do/conservation-volunteers/helping-children-one-nature.html

When I was preparing my five year old for kindergarten this past summer, I noticed that the only way I could get her to stay focused was by allowing her to take breaks outside. I realized very quickly that pressuring her to sit down for hours and focus without a break did not work for her at all. 

Nature's Ritalin - "By bolstering children's attention resources, green spaces may enable children to think more clearly and cope more effectively with life stress." (page 7)

I noticed that she would use this free time outdoors to:  ride her bike, take a walk, learn to roller blade, chase butterflies, catch hermit crabs, play in the mud in the backyard, spray her uncle with the hose outside etc. I realized that this break from academics helped her to refocus and be able to learn what she needed academically. It may have taken me longer to teach her, but in reality, I needed the break as much as she did. 

                                       

                                    http://wickedmuddy.com/2012/10/18/the-little-wickedmuddy-com-crew/

"In 2000, Wells conducted a study that found that being close to nature, in general, helps boost a child's attention span. When children's cognitive functioning was compared before and after they moved from poor- to better- quality housing adjacent to natural, green spaces. Profound differences emerged in their attention capacities even when the effects of the improved housing were taken into account," according to wells. (Page 7)

                                     

                                                                      http://www.natureexplore.org/certified/blackbearolc.cfm

At the time, I had no idea that allowing my daughter to go outside and take breaks from learning was, in fact, a proven technique for helping children focus better. Now that I have read this book and all the facts, I know without a doubt that this is a successful strategy that schools should use when teaching children, especially those who suffer from ADHD. 

                                      

                                                                              http://escobarmg.pbworks.com/w/page/40200835/Photos

Quote 1:  "Allen's aversion to nature, what can be called biophobia, is increasingly common among people raised with television, Walkman radios attached to their heads, and video games and living amidst shopping malls, freeways, and dense urban or suburban settings where nature is permitted tastefully, as decoration." (David Orr, page 186)

                               

 https://www.google.com/searchq=children+on+technology&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=tVD7U72mLsb2yQTC0oLwCg&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1242&bih=585#imgdii=_

Quote 2: "biophobia ranges from discomfort in "natural" places to active scorn for whatever is not manmade, managed, or air-conditioned. Biophobia, in short, is the culturally aquired urge to affiliate with technology, human artifacts, and soley with human interests regarding the natural world. I intend the word broadly to include as well those who regard nature "objectively" as nothing more than "resources" to be used any way the favored among the present generation see fit" (David Orr, page 186)

                               
                                http://lenabug31.blogspot.com/2011/02/obesity-in-children.html

I cannot agree more with these two quotes because we have become a generation that is so accustomed to being inside where we are "safe" watching TV, playing on our iPhone's, and browsing the internet, instead of enjoying the outdoors and all the beauty we have right outside our front doors.

Although it is hard to correct something like this after America has gotten so accustomed to this lifestyle, it is important that we each attempt to do so before it is too late. I remember even when I was a child, I would run outside with my sisters and we would walk through my back yard: which had the ocean, mud, mangroves, and woods, and we LOVED every minute of it. We had such a great imagination, and we weren't afraid of nature at all. Sure we came home with scratches and ant bites, but we enjoyed life and nature, and there was not one second that we felt "biophobic" about being outdoors. Because my mother raised my siblings and myself to love the outdoors, we will always appreciate it.

I think that we can bring back the days where kids go outside and explore nature as soon as we have parents/adults that will allow and supervise younger kids to do so. I believe that even my generation can change our tendencies of feeling "biophobic" towards nature, if we allow ourselves to explore the beauty and sanctity of the outdoors. 

Quote 3: "In return for our proper use, the earth is given to humankind as a trust. Proper use requires gratitude, humility, charity, and skill. Improper use begins with ingratitude and disparagement and proceeds to greed, abuse, and violence." (pg 192)

              http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/critical-issues-marine-pollution/

We wonder why our generation has become so selfish, greedy and violent towards one another and ourselves.  We have this huge gap in our life, that cannot be replaced by technology, money and man made things. We are missing what I believe God has created for us long ago: the enjoyment, fulfillment, and nurture that nature brings to the people who have knowledge of it.

In addition, we are so unfamiliar with nature now in days that we have no idea how our everyday decisions are destroying it. People are polluting, wasting, and poisoning our environment without even thinking twice about the impact it is having on nature. 

Furthermore, we need to realize that nature and our world is what has kept us alive all this time. The trees, water, springs, animals, and everything natural that we have been given is what takes care of us in the end, and not our technology.

Eventually,  there will not be enough people who love nature enough to do other peoples part in cleaning and taking care of the environment and we will lose it. These are some interesting videos below that I found on pollution and its effects. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAbOVeKYgjU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ASZEekITjc

Quote 4:"If by some fairly young age, however, nature has not been experienced as a friendly place of adventure and excitement, biophilia will not take hold as it might have. An opportunity will have passed, and therefore the mind will lack some critical dimension of perception and imagination." (page 200 John Muir)  

                  
          http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/16/uk-children-not-connected-nature-rspb

Quote 5: "For children the sense of biophilia needs instruction, example, and validation by a caring adult. And for adults, rekindling the sense of wonder may require a child's excitement and openness to natural wonders as well." (page 200, Rachel Carson, 1987)

http://greenliving.about.com/od/Parenting/fl/The-Importance-of-Encouraging-Children-to-Enjoy-Nature.htm

 I have experienced what Rachel Carson is writing in the quote above. She says that sometimes a child can "rekindle" the sense of wonder and excitement we have deep within ourselves with the help of a child's openness to the natural wonders. 

This quote makes complete sense to me because when I became a mother, my daughter made the outdoors exciting to me again. She would climb trees, search for lady bugs and caterpillars, pick flowers, play in the rain and reminded of how I use to love being outdoors doing the same things.

 She helped me to become unafraid of little creatures that before I became a mother, I never would have touched. She reminded me through her innocent curious eyes of how beautiful and exciting nature can be.

 So I completely agree with Rachel Carson, that it is our responsibility as adults to lead children to explore the outdoors while they still have the curiosity for it. 

We need to make sure that out younger generation has the chance to appreciate, explore and find love for nature while they have the desire to do so.

And if we never did love nature before we can push ourselves to explore it with a child's mind full of curiosity, innocence and wonder. Our children have the ability to teach us things we never even knew about nature.

                             

                                

                    https://www.google.com/searchq=children+and+parents+exploring+nature&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=gU_7U62uJdeqyATaloDQCw&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1242&bih=585#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=14C6enkzTQ1YxM%253A%3B28LHjWltLS1ZDM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fchildreninnature.mo.gov%252Ffiles%252F2012%252F04%252FNaturalist_0064lores1.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fchildreninnature.mo.gov%252Fcategory%252Fchildren-in-nature%252F%3B720%3B480