Simon Lee Approximately 150 Words
Shl5@geneseo.edu
Scientific Writing 105-19
The Trouble with Wilderness
By Simon Lee
Can nature be man-made? William Cronon argues in his essay, The Trouble with Wilderness, that the wilderness is “the creation of very particular human cultures”. Cronon talks about how at first the word nature had a very negative connotations because in Biblical times the wilderness is where satan tried his best to force Moses and countless others to give into their temptations. However, there was a turn in attitude of the frontier because of the sublime and the frontier. Writers expressed their awe for nature in different ways, but they were all referring to nature as a cathedral. He then goes to explain how the wilderness is slowly being destroyed and that the only way to save it is for human intervention.
This is the case with The Greek Tree. The students may not have realized it while they were painting the tree but by making it a Geneseo landmark, they have saved the tree from being cut down and used for human needs in the future.
I really like how you start off your blog with a question to ignite interest in the reader. Also, I like how you use an on-campus example in your paper(Greek Tree) to create a personalized feel for the reader.