“Conservation is getting nowhere because it is incompatible with our Abrahamic concept of land. We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”-Aldo Leopold
This March, I traveled to Japan on a study abroad program and spent part of my week among the Japanese flora and fauna. The Land of the Rising Sun was some of the most beautiful scenery I have witnessed in my time on earth. It was a fantastic time and I was blessed to go. The Japanese have previously encountered environmental scares and have since become dedicated to preserving the beauty of their island home.
The businesses and people their were much more apt to protect the environment and recycle. Businesses include environmental costs in their considerations for decision-making. Even the steel plant was dedicated to preventing environmental disaster
The land itself was a mountain just sliding into the bay. Tree covered slopes extended up, up, up as the roads wound themselves like serpents stretching out across the island. The trees were green and full of life, as they had emerged from a short winter. They were mostly deciduous trees; branches stretching like arms attempting to soak up the sun. Around the island were flowering trees like cherry blossoms (beautifully in bloom at the time of my visit), along with palm trees, which I was surprised could survive winters so cold.
The forests were dense and full of life. One of the days, my group traveled to Mount Tayasakiyami in Oita Prefecture, colloquially known as Monkey Mountain. It is a natural preserve of around 500 Japanese macaques that are fed by the local city to prevent crop destruction. They are free to come and go, but usually return for their feeding times en masse. It was an interesting experience to observe pack behavior as the monkeys fought both internally and externally for their food. Two other groups that had risen up had forced the original group out. What was the most interesting however, was the internal behaviors of the pack and the established pecking order that is central to food distribution within the groups. It was very intriguing to see the fights and shows of force that went along with getting the first shot at food.
The areas that I visit in Austin were beautiful and felt so very alive, even if they did murder any hope I had of sleeping easy. The pollen of the plants awoke the dragon that is my allergies and with it the fire that irritates and annoys. I managed to spot new life, including a blue jay. It was certainly less wet than it had been in previous months, and for the cold to have passed made it for once enjoyable to visit Blunn Creek. The best thing about going to these places was the ability to unwind and chill after the difficult weeks of March. I am definitely going to try to make it a part of my regular schedule. I even stayed after my hour this month with a picnic blanket and a good book to soak in nature.