One of my favourite places to be outside and in “nature” is on a blanket in the middle of the Oak Grove, which is where I am currently writing this from. I like being underneath the canopy of green leaves with sunlight dappling through. I like hearing the birds singing to each other and watching the squirrels frolic on the ground and leap among the branches. I like listening to the wind rustling the leaves of the trees and seeing how the wind makes the trees dance. I like smelling the freshly damp soil after a good rain. However, it is very disconcerting to be surrounded by “nature”, but hearing the rumble of cars going down Bever and hearing the incessant buzzing of a lawnmower. It is also interesting to me how -even though the Oak Grove is largely commercialized by the College as one of the most prime nature spots on campus- it is often taken for granted by students and faculty alike. People just walk right by it in a bustle to get to class or to work and never take time to appreciate it. Both of these occurrences show a conflict in the way humans interact with this “nature”. It is almost as though we like to be able to SAY that we love and value nature, yet our actions convey something completely different. Valuing nature has become almost just an idea to talk about as opposed to a reality that we should be living.