Eye Opener: Photo Essay

For this eye opener, I was immediately excited. I knew what topic I wanted to cover right away, and any excuse to use my camera is welcomed.

I chose to do my photo essay on the topic of "Nature Deficit Disorder", which I talked about briefly in my last share and voice. I wanted to base my photos off of what I have been reading about in Richard Louv's book The Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, which I also covered in my last share and voice.

It was hard to get stared for this post. First of all because I had so many different branches of the book that I wanted to cover, and secondly because I wasn't sure how to capture those ideas and teachings in photographs. Finally, I decided to just go, and see where my lens took me. The results are a little scattered, since I couldn't pick just one chapter, issue or idea to focus on - they were all too important and intriguing. 


So, I took a walk around Lake Harriet with my mom on Thanksgiving morning. I had one photo in mind I knew I needed.

This is the Gnome Home.  I've been visiting this humble little abode since I can remember.  A little door nestled into a hole in a tree that lines a paved path around the lake.  I used to write notes to the Mr. Little Guy (as he calls himself); telling him about my latest swim meet, or my birthday, and asking him about gnome life.  And the kind gnome would respond to me on a tiny little silver piece of paper.  He would congratulate me, and tell me about how he and his brothers had moved the Porta-Potty away from his little house - with the help of a few squirrels.  Of course, the Gnome Home grew in popularity, and soon other kid's letters would stuff the little door so full I had to shove mine in amongst them.  A border of bricks, and planted tulips soon made it easy to find this little treasure.  

I believed in fairies and gnomes and magic already, and found them in my own adventures elsewhere as well. But this was extra special since I had proof!
My imagination's connection to nature was easy when I was little - and creativity has been shown to blossom when someone is in the outdoors.

It was easy for me to believe in the Gnome when I was little, because of the magic and nature that surrounded the experience.

My mom and I continued our walk; catching up, commenting on the houses, people watching...

Then my aunt called my mom's phone, and my boyfriend texted me which prompted me to check the score of the Packers game, and then this man ran by us:

Plugged in to his iPod, running around the lake in the beautiful 50 degree weather. 

It reminded me of a clip from Louv's book:

"'It was a perfect, quiet day, the kids are skiing down the mountain - and they've got their headphones on.  They can't enjoy just hearing nature and being out there alone.  They can't make their own entertainment. They have to bring something with them.'"

I had to laugh. I'd just been ranting to my mom about what I'd been learning... yet here I was on my smart phone and talking to her and thinking about a billion different things I had to do later (most of which involved technology of some sort). 

That night, I found myself in a conversation with my Gramma (who is in the photo above). I was telling her about the photos I'd taken, this assignment, and then about what I'd been learning in Louv's book. She told me some stories about how when she was a little girl (around 1930s):
Her and her sisters, along with the neighborhood kids, running down to Minnehaha creek and climbing around behind the waterfall... all day.
Cutting out the people in magazines and matching them to their hats - like a puzzle.
Going through the local library books A-Z.


Her childhood was so drastically different from mine, and even my mom's. We grew up in different times, but I still felt sad after listening to her. I felt sad because I wished I'd had that kind of freedom... I wish I had it now even. 
Kids rarely go outside to play, when given the option. And even then, it isn't the kind of outdoor play my Gramma can describe to you.

(I hope it counts that I took a picture of a picture...) 

Above is my mom, aunt and a friend when they were little. Just entertaining themselves with the world around them.

"'We tell our kids that traditional forms of outdoor play are against the rules... Then we get on their backs when they sit in front of the TV - and then we tell them to go outside and play. But where? How? Join another organized sport? Some kids don't want to be organized all the time. They want to let their imagination's run..." (pg. 31)

"For the young, food is from Venus; farming is from Mars" (pg. 20)

I chose to photograph my Thanksgiving dinner to represent this clip from Louv's book. The quote is a header for a section, in which Louv interviews a farmer friend of his. The man talks about how he raised his children to know where their food came from. They saw the dead goats, and even killed some chickens. The majority of my generation, and the ones after me, don't see any of that. We can label what a cow and a sheep are from the time we start talking, but we don't make that connection when we are eating a burger, a turkey dinner, drinking a glass of milk, or even when we enjoy a big salad..

..Or are about to juice a bunch of veggies and fruits. I have a total disconnect from this pile of food. I couldn't tell you how to grow it, or where, or what is involved in getting it to my table.

Finally, I took this photo as we drove back up to Duluth. With the following quotes in mind, I tried to pay attention to the world passing by outside my window. 


"'...it is not unusual to make a day trip, stopping only for coffee or a snack along the way. The entire experience occurs from the automobile looking out." (pg.52)


"But now even that visual connection is optional. A friend of mine was shopping for a new luxury car to celebrate her half century of life ... 'The salesman's jaw dropped when I said I didn't want a backseat television monitor for my daughter,' she told me."
"Why do so many Americans say they want their children to watch less TV, but continue to expand the opportunities for them to watch it? More important, why do so many people no longer consider the physical world worth watching?" (pg.62)




There is a very real issue today. Children and adults are suffering from this disorder. There are multiple reasons why we've dissolved our relationship with nature so quickly. And there are many real and dangerous symptoms because of this dissolve - evident in individuals, families, communities and our whole nation. 

Eye Opener: Junk on the Brain

1. Defining the following terms:

• antiques/antiquing (found through a Google search of "define antiques" and "define antiquing" - definition is the first listing):
• Verb: Make (something) resemble an antique by artificial means. 
• Noun: A collectible object such as a piece of furniture or work of art that has a high value because of its considerable age.
• And antiquing is shopping in stores where antiques are sold.
• junk/junking (found through the same Google process):
• Noun: Old or discarded articles that are considered useless or of little value. A flat-bottomed sailing vessel typical in China and the East Indies, with a prominent stem, a high stern, and lugsails. 
• Verb: Discard or abandon unceremoniously.
• Also a funnier, more "hip" definition found here at Urban Dictionary
• Junking is defined as "Discard or abandon unceremoniously."  
• flea market:
• A flea market is a place where used or second-hand items are sold or traded. It can indoors, outdoors, big or small. Often includes food stands. 
• thrift shop:
• Savers is an example
• A place to find used, donated items such as clothes and household supplies. 
• A definition offered here
• upcycling:

• "Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value." found here
• Popular with crafters (like me!)
• Turning something you would normally throw out into something new!
• resale shop:
• "A charity shop, thrift shop, thrift store, hospice shop (U.S., Canada), resale shop (when not meaning consignment shop [U.S.]) or op shop (Australia/N.Z.) (from "opportunity shop") is a retail establishment operated by a charitable organization for the purpose of fundraising." -what came up when I Googled "define resale shop"
• Another site said that any shop that sells gently-used goods are resale shops.

Part 2:

1. The above terms have a lot to do with environmental health! They are all about saving things from ending up in dumps and polluting our planet. Instead, using them for new things! Reduce, REUSE, Recycle!
2. Local Resources:
1. Antiques: (for some reason I can't get the above picture to follow the "antiques"....). A quick Google search for "antique shops in duluth mn" produced all of those results! 
2. Junk: Sweet Salvage - Buffalo, MN. Found here.
3. Flea Market: Flea Portal lists different flea markets happening near Duluth.
4. Thrift Shop: I love shopping at Value Village
5. Upcycling: Sewing old clothes at Do It Green Minnesota
6. Resale: Turn Style consignment shops.
3. I do reuse and recycle things! I love to craft, and a lot of times that includes using stuff I already have. I love making mittens out of old sweaters I get for cheap at Savers. I've also made a wreath from an old sweater. Usually re-using things is a lot more budget friendly too, which is helpful to a college student like me!

Part 3:

1. Junk Market
1. A sign about wine. Honestly, I love wine. And I love funny little signs. Looks easy enough..
2. A "junkmarket bride". I'm that classic girl who has been dreaming of her wedding for years, even though it's years away. I like unique and budget-friendly ideas.
3. AWESOME - for sure going into my future yard!! Looks so comfy and fun and relaxing :)

Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

Right away I was interested in how this eye opener would turn out. So, I went to this site, and thought of a cosmetic item I use a lot. I don't wear a lot of makeup or really do much to my face/skin, but I do wear Maybelline Colossal Volume Express mascara every day. So I searched that, to no results. So I moved on to the next thing I wear often but not always: Loreal Paris True Match foundation/cover-up. This did have results, but none of them have very much information. But, I clicked on the one closest to what I use and looked at the results. Here they are. It scored a 4 (I assume out of 10), which isn't terrible, but the data is also limited. Some the high concerns were: Endocrine disruption, Persistence and bioaccumulation, Multiple, additive exposure sources, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Contamination concerns. Most of these just sound scientific and scary to me, so I wish they would explain what they mean.

Overall, it doesn't change my opinion/use of this product. If it had a high rating/warning and more data I would probably look into research on it more, but for this one I don't think I will.

Eye Opener: CSPI

I chose to do the Eating Green Calculator for this assignment. I was interested first of all to find out my estimated impact, but also about how I could improve my diet. It was a little difficult to enter my weekly servings of each food (beef, chicken, eggs, milk...) since it usually varies from week-to-week. So I tried to kind of enter servings on average (I put zero servings for eggs since I rarely use them - it doesn't mean I never do).
I think I'm happy with my impact, however it is hard to tell what is "good". I also liked that they provided the nutritional information!
Then I clicked on the tab to learn how to improve my diet AND protect the environment: I didn't change much. Since I had already entered such small amounts of servings, it was hard to reduce them by much without totally replacing them - and I don't want to go vegetarian. I think, for me personally at least, getting some meat and dairy during the week is important. It helps me feel healthier, gives me protein, and aids me in making other healthy food options (milk in my oatmeal).
I did not take the pledge, because I think that I am already doing good on my animal product levels.

In summary, I do think it is important to be conscious of the amount of animal products you eat, but I think it is even more important to consider where you get them/how they are raised. A large majority of the beef I make at home comes from my boyfriend's uncle who raises cows in Michigan. And when I buy chicken I try my best to buy local if available, and free-range. This calculator doesn't take any of that into account when giving you your results.

Eye Opener: Ecological Footprint

I already had a general idea of the term "Ecological Footprint", but it was interesting to read more about. The first statistic about humanity using 1.4 planet earths in 2006 was a little shocking (stated here)! This means that we use up resources 1.4 times as fast as our planet can produce them. My first thought was - "I sure hope we've slowed down, Earth clearly wont be able to keep up for much longer."
Under the "Methodology" tab, it explains that there are many different things to consider when calculating this number, and different people/studies take different things into account - sea area, fossil fuels and nuclear waste are some of those.

Then, I took the quiz... and wow. It told me in the end, that if everyone lived like I do, we'd need 5.5 planet earths!! I use up 24.5 global acres to support my lifestyle. Sad.
The quiz itself was very interesting and pretty simple. You create an avatar for yourself and it asks you a series of simple questions about your lifestyle. You can choose to either be more broad with your answers, or more specific. I chose to be broad, but might go back sometime and get more specific to see how it changes. One thing I hadn't thought about, was flying in a plane! I don't fly very often (I chose "1-4 times a year"), but I bet a plane uses up a ton of gas.

This really did open my eyes to my footprint. One question I was a little ashamed of answering was how much processed, packaged, non-local food I consume. I am definitely going to start there when I reduce the size of my "footprint". On a positive note, I do ride the DTA (Duluth Transit Authority) as often as possible when I'm going to school, and thankfully don't need to drive very often/very far.

Welcome to Sea-Air-Ahh!

(from my plane - leaving San Diego, California)

My name is Sierra, and I am creating this blog in the hopes of educating myself, and others, about the wide world we live in - and to pass my class ;)

There are 5 possible types of posts on my blog. They include:

1. Advocacy Project
2. Eye Openers
3. Reflections
4. Lifestyle Change
5. Share and Voice

If you notice at the bottom of this post, the categories will be listed as labels. This post is has been labeled with all five kinds of posts. You will also see the number of each kind of post in my "Labels" gadget at the top of the page. All post titles from now on will begin with one of the categories above.

The members of my web group are:

1. Lindsay@Lindsay's Loving Land
2. Chnice@Eco Summit With Chnice
3. Duzong@Duzong's Treehouse
4. Dr. V/Kristen@Eco-Surfing With Amy and Kristen

You can also follow my blog by clicking "Follow this Blog" in the gadget column. You can see my complete profile and all the blogs I am following by clicking on "See Complete Profile."

Thank you for visiting, and I hope you will return regularly to learn, watch, read, laugh, and share about our beautiful environment - from sea to sky!

(Lake Superior)