Emma Marris presents different views of nature and different methods to protecting nature. She states that nature is lost in current society in two ways. One way is that nature is destroyed from the planet by human hands. For example, where forests once grew, there is a city filled with skyscrapers. The second way nature is lost is that “we have misplaced it…[and] hidden it from ourselves.” (Marris 5) Marris explains how nature is hidden through illustrating the different experiments and ideas for protecting the environment. For example, with conservationist methods to preserve the environment, areas of nature are isolated in attempts to rescue it from human degradation. In this sense, nature is being hidden from humans to prevent them from affecting the “pristine” nature of the area. Marris mentions how we have also “misplaced” nature. She explains this through with the experimentation done on nature to bring it back to its’ original form—when humans did not tamper with nature. Ostertag and Cordell worked on producing a forest in Hawaii that would duplicate the nature of the area before humans interacted with it. To build their ideal forest, Ostertag and Cordell set a baseline for their forest and uprooted all invasive species. Then they began to plant native species in hopes that it would flourish in the clearing. However, the native plants of Hawaii take a long time to grow so the results are not certain if the native species will be able to survive in the area. Also, another way to bring nature back to its past form is by killing all invasive animals like how Tony Cathcart did in attempt to bring out animals who have hidden away from predators. These different methods illustrate how we have misplaced nature by attempting to put bring it back to the past.
Marris mentions how John Muir strongly believed nature should not be ruined by human hands and should be kept in its “pristine” form. He wanted Yosemite to be kept in its original condition to preserve its beauty. Conservation ideas began to spread and more areas began to be preserved, like Yellowstone National Park. This park became a model for conservation. The beauty of nature was the wilderness. Muir and President Roosevelt both had strong passion for the wilderness. This led to spreading the idea of conservation to other people and creating more national parks similar to Yellowstone. Yellowstone became the “breakthrough in conservation” as many policies, such as a ban on hunting, influenced the path of upcoming national parks. The park had also influenced the world in conserving nature. For example, Australia and Canada began to open parks. (Marris 38)
Marris appears to believe that conservation is not the way to save nature. Attempting to bring nature back to the way it was before humans made contact with nature will not save it. In a way it appears to be destroying it. As a method to bring nature back to its past form, one method involves clearing everything that does not belong there, thus destroying the environment. However, they do plant native species back in hopes of its growth, but there is no guarantee that the growth will be successful. I believe that Marris is trying to say that the way to protecting nature is to work with it, so that nature grows along with humans.
