Matt Klein approximately 150 words
INTD 105-19: Science Writing
Potential Skepticism About the Role of the Arboretum
By Matt Klein
In my essay, I argue that Geneseo Arboretum can be considered both sublime and a frontier, but with definitions slightly different from Cronon’s. In the context of my essay, how much of a frontier a wilderness is defined by its separation and distance from human society, and the sublime describes how well the wilderness invokes feelings of wonder and awe. Skeptics could disagree with both of my classifications of the Arboretum. I argue that the Arboretum is a remote part of campus, but since it is a part of the campus one could assert that it is much closer to home than what we usually perceive as wilderness. As for the sublime, the Arboretum is not much different from the woods around us; one could claim that it lacks the sublimity of more impressive landscapes such as large mountains and valleys.
The significance of my essay is in proving the importance of the Arboretum. Cronon believes that the importance we give nature is false because it is actually all around us. I argue that the Arboretum, despite being part of a wild that surrounds us, can still provide an escape from society that Cronon overlooks.