Appreciation Of Nature Research Articles

Environmental Values and Technology Preferences of First-Year University Students

Environmental and technological preferences correlate. Both are empirically accessible via established instruments such as the Two Major Environmental Value model (2-MEV) with “preservation” (PRE) and “utilization” (UTL), and the technology questionnaire with “interest in technology” (INT) and “social aspects of technology” (SOC). Additionally, “appreciation of nature” (APR) was monitored with a seven-item scale. We used these instruments to assess the preferences of freshmen in five different areas of study (law, economics, science, pedagogy, cultural studies). All subsequent analyses unveiled positive relations between appreciation and preservation, between the two technology subscales, as well as between utilization and social aspects of technology. Negative relationships appeared between preservation and utilization, preservation and both technology factors, as well as appreciation and social aspects of technology. In all subsamples, preservers (individuals with preservation preferences) showed little interest in technology or its social aspects; utilizers scored high in social aspects of technology, whereas appreciators displayed no interest in it. The freshmen’s areas of study seem to predict consistent tendencies to (biocentric) preservation or (anthropocentric) utilization. Moreover, females were more likely to preserve and appreciate nature whereas males preferred utilization along with interest in technology as well as in the social implications of technology. The observed differences can be used to develop new and improve existing educational programs; recommendations are discussed.

Human-nature relationships in context. Experiential, psychological, and contextual dimensions that shape children's desire to protect nature.

What relationship with nature shapes children’s desire to protect the environment? This study crosses conventional disciplinary boundaries to explore this question. I use qualitative and quantitative methods to analyse experiential, psychological, and contextual dimensions of Human-Nature Connection (HNC) before and after children participate in a project of nature conservation. The results from the interviews (N = 25) suggest that experiential aspects of saving animals enhance children’s appreciation and understanding for animals, nature, and nature conservation. However, the analysis of children’s psychological HNC (N = 158) shows no statistical difference before and after children participate in the project. Analysing the third dimension–children’s contextual HNC–provides further insights. Including children’s contextual relations with home, nature, and city, not only improves the prediction of their desire to work for nature, but also exposes a form of Human-Nature Disconnection (HND) shaped by children’s closeness to cities that negatively influence it. Overall, combining experiential, psychological, and contextual dimensions of HNC provides rich insights to advance the conceptualisation and assessment of human-nature relationships. People’s relationship with nature is better conceived and analysed as systems of relations between mind, body, culture, and environment, which progress through complex dynamics. Future assessments of HNC and HND would benefit from short-term qualitative and long-term quantitative evaluations that explicitly acknowledge their spatial and cultural contexts. This approach would offer novel and valuable insights to promote the psychological and social determinants of resilient sustainable society.

Haunted: On Ghosts, Witches, Vampires, Zombies, and Other Monsters of the Natural and Supernatural WorldsCredulity: A Cultural History of US Mesmerism

Haunted: On Ghosts, Witches, Vampires, Zombies, and Other Monsters of the Natural and Supernatural WorldsCredulity: A Cultural History of US Mesmerism

TRAF family molecules in T cells: Multiple receptors and functions.

The TNFR superfamily of receptors, the major focus of the recent TNFR Superfamily Conference held in June 2019, employ the TNFR-associated factor (TRAF) family of adaptor proteins in key aspects of their signaling pathways. Although many early studies investigated TRAF functions via exogenous overexpression in nonhematopoietic cell lines, it has subsequently become clear that whereas TRAFs share some overlap in function, each also plays unique biologic roles, that can be highly context dependent. This brief review summarizes the current state of knowledge of functions of each of the TRAF molecules that mediate important functions in T lymphocytes: TRAFs 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. Due to our current appreciation of the contextual nature of TRAF function, our focus is upon findings made specifically in T lymphocytes. Key T cell functions for each TRAF are detailed, as well as future knowledge gaps of interest and importance.

Call of the Sea by Harriet Whitney Frismuth

Recognizing the contribution art has had in the Mayo Clinic environment since the original Mayo Clinic Building was finished in 1914, Mayo Clinic Proceedings features some of the numerous works of art displayed throughout the buildings and grounds on Mayo Clinic campuses as interpreted by the author.

Keeping the Faith: The Role of the Irish House during the Penal Era and beyond

Despite widespread acceptance of the impact of the Penal Laws on Irish society, authors have focused on the more secular parts of society, tending to dismiss the religious aspect of Penal legislation as something of a ‘sideline’ to the main event and discounting vital dimensions such as faith and belief. Whilst there has been a shift towards an appreciation of the diverse nature of religious change during this period, few authors have attempted to discuss the link between persecution and the retention of Catholicism. This paper explores the role played by the Irish home in articulating Catholic identity throughout the Penal era and asks what this domestic space can tell us about the Catholic communities of the period. It analyses how this domestic space helped to reflect and reinforce very separate and different Catholic identities as religious communities were forced to create new spaces for worship and ritual, search for precedents and develop their own concepts of how space should be apportioned and organised. The paper concludes that Irish homes became the vessels of a sacred force that played a crucial role in maintaining Catholic identity and ensuring the survival of the Catholic faith. In an era of rapid cultural change, the Irish home continues to reflect, and help reconstruct, contemporary Irish identity whilst also providing a tangible and experiential connection to Irish heritage and tradition.

The Chemistry of Lanthanides in Biology: Recent Discoveries, Emerging Principles, and Technological Applications.

The essential biological role of rare earth elements lay hidden until the discovery in 2011 that lanthanides are specifically incorporated into a bacterial methanol dehydrogenase. Only recently has this observation gone from a curiosity to a major research area, with the appreciation for the widespread nature of lanthanide-utilizing organisms in the environment and the discovery of other lanthanide-binding proteins and systems for selective uptake. While seemingly exotic at first glance, biological utilization of lanthanides is very logical from a chemical perspective. The early lanthanides (La, Ce, Pr, Nd) primarily used by biology are abundant in the environment, perform similar chemistry to other biologically useful metals and do so more efficiently due to higher Lewis acidity, and possess sufficiently distinct coordination chemistry to allow for selective uptake, trafficking, and incorporation into enzymes. Indeed, recent advances in the field illustrate clear analogies with the biological coordination chemistry of other metals, particularly CaII and FeIII, but with unique twists—including cooperative metal binding to magnify the effects of small ionic radius differences—enabling selectivity. This Outlook summarizes the recent developments in this young but rapidly expanding field and looks forward to potential future discoveries, emphasizing continuity with principles of bioinorganic chemistry established by studies of other metals. We also highlight how a more thorough understanding of the central chemical question—selective lanthanide recognition in biology—may impact the challenging problems of sensing, capture, recycling, and separations of rare earths.

The Impact of NOLS Rocky Mountain on the Development of a Sense of Place

Background: One of the core environmental studies learning objectives at NOLS is for students to develop a “sense of place” by experiencing wilderness and exploring relationships with their surroundings. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how students report developing a sense of place after completing a course based out of NOLS Rocky Mountain in Lander, Wyoming. A secondary focus of this study was to understand sense-of-place development through past NOLS research on learning mechanisms. Methodology/Approach: Data were analyzed from 511 NOLS students who answered the open-ended question: Did NOLS help you develop a personal relationship to the places you visited? If so, how? This study utilized a grounded theory approach to design and analysis. Findings/Conclusions: Analyses revealed nine core categories related to developing an expeditionary and wilderness-focused sense of place. The two predominant themes supporting a sense of place were the ability of a NOLS course to facilitate nature appreciation and specific instructor-oriented and NOLS structure-oriented learning mechanisms. Implications: This article offers insights into how NOLS supports a sense of place, clarifies related learning mechanisms, and discusses curricular considerations related to facilitating person–environment relationships within landscapes understood as wilderness.

Using social media, machine learning and natural language processing to map multiple recreational beneficiaries

Information and numbers on the use and appreciation of nature are valuable information for protected area (PA) managers. A promising direction is the utilisation of social media, such as the photo-sharing website Flickr. Here we demonstrate a novel approach, borrowing techniques from machine learning (image analysis), natural language processing (Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA)) and self-organising maps (SOM), to collect and interpret >20,000 photos from the Camargue region in Southern France. From the perspective of Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES), we assessed the relationship between the use of the Camargue delta and the presence of natural elements by consulting local managers. Clustering algorithms applied to results of the LSA data revealed six distinct user groups, which included those interested in nature, ornithology, religious pilgrimage, general tourists and aviation enthusiasts. For each group, we produced high-resolution spatial and seasonal maps, which matched known recreational attractions and annual festivals in the Camargue. The accuracy of the group identification, and the spatial and temporal patterns of photo activity, in the Camargue delta were evaluated by local managers of the Camargue regional park. This study demonstrates how PA managers can harness social-media to monitor recreation and improve their management decision making.

‘Neither a professional nor a friend’: the liminal spaces of parents and volunteers in family support

Home-Start is a family support charity whose delivery model is a national and global example of how targeted volunteer support can benefit parents, carers and children experiencing difficult times, in both domestic and other spaces. Parenting support continues to be a key policy area for the current UK government and other policy-makers across the Global North. In this article we draw on qualitative findings from an ethnography of a Home-Start organisation in a city in the north of England. The theoretical framework of liminality, a space between social structures, allows for an appreciation of the ambiguous nature of supporting parents in the private domestic spaces, and the ways in which this support enables parents and families to move forward. The article has broader implications for global social care and social work practice, specifically demonstrating the importance of the relationships between parents and volunteers in the every day, and contributes to the literature on liminality.

Interaction of Topography & Design in the case of Appreciation of Nature: Karmi village case

Today, with growing the population the need for accommodation is growing up so architecture has big role in this case. During this process the most important issue is nature. There has been a problematic issue in the whole world which is about finding a solution for saving the nature. Therefore, this research is about the interaction of topography and design in the case of appreciation of nature. Also it is based on the problem which is lack of sufficient concern in usage of natural topography in North Cyprus. So this paper clarifies that how architecture can affect the environment surrounded in order to appreciate the natural environment in North Cyprus, Kyrenia, and Karmi village. In this research, lack of sufficient concern in usage of natural topography in contemporary architecture is going to be achieved by comparing the new and old construction building in the Karmi village. According to this problem the paper is including analysis of the buildings in Karmi village. Main goal of this paper is to bring this construction way to architecture and somehow solved the lack of sufficient concern in usage of natural topography problem in Nort Cyprus.

Segmentation and motivations in eco-tourism: The case of a coastal national park

In recent years, there has been growing tourist interest in the environment and enjoyment of the natural environment, prompting ecotourism to grow more rapidly than conventional tourism. This study analyses the motivations for, and segmentation of, the demand for ecotourism based on functional theory. Fieldwork was conducted in Machalilla National Park in Ecuador, a protected coastal area where one of the main attractions is the opportunity to see humpback whales. The study sample consists of 386 questionnaire responses, obtained in situ for convenience. The data were analysed using factor analysis and non-hierarchical segmentation. The results show that there are several dimensions to the motivation for ecotourism: ‘self-development’, ‘interpersonal relationships and ego-defensive function’, ‘building personal relationships’, ‘escape’, ‘nature appreciation’ and ‘reward’. Ecotourists were also segmented based on their motivations; three segments were uncovered: ‘nature’, ‘reward and escape’ and ‘multiple motives’. This study should enable public institutions and private companies to improve their tourist offerings, benefit the destination and develop a more effective marketing strategy.

The Ecology of Teaching & Learning (Science)

The present position paper articulates insights of complexity science, a progressive approach to understanding living systems that is compatible with critical perspectives on teaching and learning. Drawing from examples of an outdoor activity in a teacher education science methods course, we argue that complexity science offers an ecological perspective on education itself. That is, learning and teaching are understood as nurturing students to adaptively reorganize their belief systems to adjust to larger biological, social and cultural practices that are themselves constantly evolving. The infusion of complexity theory into education – and the associated development of a wider appreciation for the intricate nature of teaching and learning processes – not only makes it more likely for teachers and students to be able to interact effectively with(in) the world in multileveled and relational ways, but it also empowers (provokes) them to act upon current global socio-ecological problems in more just and sustainable ways.

LAME SCIENCE? BLIND RELIGION?

AbstractIn Consecrating Science, Lisa Sideris argues that an anthropocentric and science‐based cosmology encourages human arrogance and diminishes a sense of wonder in human experience immersed in the natural world, as found in diverse cultural and religious traditions. I agree with her that science elevated to a commanding worldview, scientism, is a common and contemporary mistake, to be deplored, a lame science. But I further argue that science has introduced us to the marvels of deep nature and vastly increased our human appreciation of nature as a wonderland at levels great and small. Sideris is right to fear consecrating science. She—and the humanists, sages, and saviors—need also to fear blindness to what science has to teach us about cosmogenesis and wonderland Earth.

Assessing cultural ecosystem services of a large marine protected area through social media photographs

Cultural ecosystem services (CES) are defined as the non-material benefits that arise from human-ecosystem relationships. Such benefits contribute to quality of life and positive sentiment towards protected areas but are difficult to quantify, especially at large spatial scales. Building on recent studies, we assess CES in Brazil's largest marine protected area (MPA) using user-contributed georeferenced photographs from a popular image- and video-hosting website. In total, we assessed 1,984 photographs taken by 207 users between 2010 and 2016. The most represented CES categories were landscape appreciation and social recreation, clearly reflecting the obvious attractions of this tropical beach location. Artistic/cultural expressions and appreciation, and nature appreciation where also highly represented, though no photographs depicting educational engagements or scientific research were identified. Engagements with CES had clear spatial and temporal patterns relating to user behaviour and reflecting the biophysical and infrastructural characteristics of different sites within this MPA. The broad spatial coverage and high spatio-temporal resolution of the data makes this approach ideal for identifying CES hotspots/coldspots and, despite limitations, holds great potential to monitor the impact of management interventions on CES provision. Our study highlights how the analysis of high volumes of digital photographs extends the methodological tool-box available to researchers and provides a powerful new means to quantify and map CES at broad spatial scales.

From Leopold's “Land Ethic” to Ecological Hubris

Research Article| April 01 2019 From Leopold's “Land Ethic” to Ecological Hubris Departmental Editor: Douglas Allchin Douglas Allchin Departmental Editor DOUGLAS ALLCHIN is a historian and philosopher of science and science educator. He is author of Teaching the Nature of Science: Perspectives and Resources (2013) and Sacred Bovines: The Ironies of Misplaced Assumptions in Biology (2017), based on essays from this column. Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar The American Biology Teacher (2019) 81 (4): 291–293. https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2019.81.4.291 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Douglas Allchin; From Leopold's “Land Ethic” to Ecological Hubris. The American Biology Teacher 1 April 2019; 81 (4): 291–293. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2019.81.4.291 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentThe American Biology Teacher Search Why preserve wilderness? How is such a value justified? Many people – including many biology teachers, I think – regard ecological facts as the ultimate foundation. But does this mean that scientific inquiry can yield ethics, as well as knowledge? Here, I explore this important question about the nature and limits of science by focusing on Aldo Leopold's popular idea of a land ethic. Leopold first earned renown in wildlife management in the 1910s through the 1930s. Later, he eloquently expressed his appreciation of nature in his now classic Sand County Almanac. For example, in describing four seasons on a farm in Wisconsin, he gave deep meaning to ordinary experience. He suggested that the idea that heat comes from a furnace betrays a significant misunderstanding: He lamented, too, the supposition that food comes from a grocery store rather than from tilling the soil. He contrasted orienting one's perspective to... You do not currently have access to this content.

Sociopsychological Aspects of Butterfly Souvenir Purchasing Behavior at Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park in Indonesia

Utilizing butterflies in souvenirs escalates their exploitation, which occurs even with protected species. Visitors affect both tourism sustainability and butterfly populations. Thus, parks must establish visitor management practices to secure tourism, including butterfly-trading activities to provide social and economic benefits, while still maintaining butterfly populations and environmental sustainability. This research examined the relationships between visitors’ motivations, environmental attitudes (deontological status, legal compliance, and political activism), and preference regarding butterfly souvenirs. Data were collected using an on-site survey of 455 respondents at Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park in Indonesia and analyzed using factor analysis, correlation, and logistic regression. Results showed that visitors’ motivations were divided into four categories: challenge and freedom, nature appreciation, social relationships, and escape from routine. Visitors showed high deontological status, legal compliance, and political activist attitudes, valued the attributes of butterfly souvenirs highly, and strongly preferred souvenirs with authenticity value. Significant correlations existed among motivation, attitude, and preference for butterfly souvenir attributes. Logistic regression results revealed that with more frequent visits, better souvenir quality, and higher education levels, the possibility of visitors purchasing butterfly souvenirs increased. Prior knowledge regarding regulations prohibiting protected butterfly trading diminished this possibility. This study further discusses how visitors’ sociopsychological information can be used to minimize negative impacts caused by overtourism.

The urgency of engaging with oddities and ambiguities: Reciprocity and cooperation visited as semio-aesthetic notions in bridging nature and culture

Abstract The notion of the third culture forms the background of the study that seeks to unify humanistic and scientific approaches for a better appreciation of nature, culture, and the arts. This study draws on the kind of emotion and attitude that we may intuit and act out soon after noticing another individual demanding our help in nature and culture. Such feelings as sympathy and empathy, uncertainty and ambiguity, are perceived to be extremely useful in the context of strategy formation and action taking. These preverbal traits that are already more or less encoded in our body and mind may enable us to devise rewarding strategies emerging from the deep inside when we are coping with strange oddities in nature and culture. Such operation is seen on the one hand to save our biologically valuable time in terms of thinking and imagining, and on the other, to achieve brilliant interpretations of various art and life forms. This study reveals that we are estimated to come up with: (1) cogent and digestible propositions; (2) sharpened perceptions and refined tastes; (3) widened horizons of emulating and appreciating types of art and artifice. On top of polishing our own skills and swiftness of inventing strategies, we may also expect to forge encouraging and endearing partnerships between diverse life forms and us. All in all, this study develops the semio-aesthetic idea that we serve the community by way of developing balanced and intriguing viewpoints that may inspire individuals to regain linkages with beings and forms appearing unpleasant or unconvincing at first sight.

Sense of Place as a Source of Tension in Canada’s West Coast Energy Conflicts

Canada’s west coast has been a hotspot of environmental conflict, most recently in defense of climate action and natural places under threat by energy development. This study examined sense of place as a source of tension in conflicts sparked by two energy proposals. The Bute Inlet run-of-river hydroelectric project would power British Columbia’s remote Central Coast, and the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion would transport bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands to tankers for export. Surveys, interviews, and mapping were used to investigate the depth and character of participants’ sense of favorite places and places expected to be affected by the projects, with appreciation, concern, and responsibility for nature as organizing themes. We discovered a regional, nature-centric sense of place on the south coast, and a sense of place among Albertans linked to that province’s oil and gas economy and its reputation as Canada’s chief breadwinner. Ties to natural places were found to underpin environmental advocacy by tapping into deep place connections as well as place connections conveyed through network ideologies and the protests themselves. We outline for consideration key characteristics of a regional sense of place, and offer ways to mitigate place-based economy versus environment conflicts.

Environmental literacy and nature experience in Chengdu, China

This research investigated environmental literacy and nature experience among 1433 children and adults in Chengdu, China. Utilizing a standard measure of environmental literacy modified to be culture- and age-appropriate, we found almost universal agreement that nature should be protected. Although our results showed that older groups were less likely to enjoy experiences in nature compared to the younger ones, this was not reflected in a reduced appreciation for nature, which was high in all age groups. Within each category of student, age was associated with increased knowledge but decreased enjoyment of nature experiences and environmental concern. In contrast, among the adult residents, increasing age was associated with less objective knowledge but with more liking and concern about nature. Based on these results, we provide recommendations for environmental education that incorporates time in nature in order to foster environmental concern and behavior as well as knowledge.