Next semester I embark on a journey to Sevilla, Spain to study abroad for the spring semester. Although our focus for Treks and Texts was nature and preservation as it concerned the United States, it has sparked my curiosity for how other countries protect and concern themselves with nature. I cannot recall which author or speaker that we watched mentioned it, but someone mentioned at one point that lots of tourists travel to the United States to view our National Parks, because many countries do not have park systems. I remember being shocked by that statement, because, like some of my classmates have also said, we so often assume that the most beautiful sights are in countries outside of the US.
Although my home base for the semester will be Sevilla, I am hoping to travel quite a bit around Europe, especially since I have never been before. I am curious to see if any other governments have laws in place to protect their natural attractions, and what people’s attitudes are towards nature. My initial thought is that people in Europe will find greater intrinsic value in nature, but that is based largely on stereotypes I have heard from fellow Americans. I hope, however, that if the government is not in fact involved with preservation in these European countries, that the people of that country are invested in the protection of their land.
Even though I am incredibly excited to visit some of the major cities across the continent, my goal is also to do a lot of hiking and exploring more rural and natural areas of Europe. I love being able to see different types of landscape. Even the change from North Carolina to Texas has blown me away, so I can only imagine the shift from Texas to Europe. I hope that when I return, it is with more wonder at the natural world, and a more intense desire to preserve what nature has provided for us.
Although my home base for the semester will be Sevilla, I am hoping to travel quite a bit around Europe, especially since I have never been before. I am curious to see if any other governments have laws in place to protect their natural attractions, and what people’s attitudes are towards nature. My initial thought is that people in Europe will find greater intrinsic value in nature, but that is based largely on stereotypes I have heard from fellow Americans. I hope, however, that if the government is not in fact involved with preservation in these European countries, that the people of that country are invested in the protection of their land.
Even though I am incredibly excited to visit some of the major cities across the continent, my goal is also to do a lot of hiking and exploring more rural and natural areas of Europe. I love being able to see different types of landscape. Even the change from North Carolina to Texas has blown me away, so I can only imagine the shift from Texas to Europe. I hope that when I return, it is with more wonder at the natural world, and a more intense desire to preserve what nature has provided for us.
 |
| Ronda, Spain |
Comments
Post a Comment