Anthropology Major - University of North Texas
Nature hidden in plain sight, Eureka Park is a popular outing for many people in and around Denton, TX. Although these people are taking the time to be outside, one has to ponder if they are really enjoying nature for what it is or enjoying the manmade playscape and running path. I frequent the running path, and there I sought an area with which I feel a strong connection to establish my mandala. My first day began on October 5th, 2013 around 11 am and I chose a mandala that lies over the hill adjacent to the finish line at the end of my runs, a place that I am in tune with where I continue to improve my physical and mental health. It was extremely important to select a location that was home to a wide variety of species, plant and animals alike. Nature, as a whole, is about the mixing and mingling of species and their relationships whether those are symbiotic, commensal, parasitic, competitive, predatory, etc. To further this focus, my mandala also includes the edge of a pond as a window into the relationship between species of the flight, land, and water. The land meets with the pond, where many people come to fish, in a gradual slope, and large reeds extending from beneath the surface stand proud with enough give for the wind to sway the tall, grasslike plant to and fro. My selection of the mandala was not random, every aspect of the prospective vicinity required a large variety of species, experiences, and visuals to create an analysis that truly encompassed what ethnobiology inspires. 
October 6, 2013 -- 5pm: Little touches of humankind interwoven in nature are apparent all around this mandala; the groomed grass has the beginnings of unkempt charm due to rain showers the day before, and small white flowers, freshly bloomed, patiently wait to be joined by the surrounding buds prepared to blossom. Through extensive research through wildflower databases and on amateur flower photography, the conclusive species of the flowers appear to be Aphanostephus ramosissimus – plains dozedaisy. These little flowers sprinkle the growing grass in the America Southwest year round, and in Eureka Park the plains dozedaisies soak in the sun for as long as possible before the lawnmowers come to cut them down. After the first day, I never saw those little white flowers again during my other visits. The dozedaisies had barely begun to develop before their time was, literally, cut short and an inner struggle emerged within me. Nature is relished when it is convenient, I recall the itchy fifteen minutes as I sat in my mandala's scraggly grass and flowers. The second time I returned, the recently cut grass was smooth on my skin and my comfort level increased; the flowers were gone, but it is easy to dismiss the loss to value the new, soft ground. Very few people when asked will state that they dislike nature, but most people will attempt to eradicate a bug or rat infestation in their home; such “pests” are inconvenient. One then must argue if that truly is denying nature. Very similar to David George Haskell's assertion in The Forest Unseen, people cannot deny humanity's place in nature; our propensity for creating comfortable living situations can be traced back to our archaic ancestors. Humankind's survival depends on its cultural adaptation, we do not have claws, sharp teeth, fur, or tough skin; we use culture and tradition to complete these necessities. Cannot one argue that all of what humankind has developed was stemmed from our earliest ancestors and the beginning of cultural adaptation? Through our greed we seek to control and subdue nature, how much is left after the leveling, mowing, cutting, building, and maintaining? I mourn my white flowers and hope to meet again after the next big rain.
Similar to humans other parts of nature adapt, whether it be on the scale of evolution or of day to day events. The University of North Texas campus is heavily populated by squirrels, but these critters possess different day to day lives and habits than most scurrying, skittish squirrels. Hundreds of students across the campus feed the squirrels, which has created a population that comes in contact with humans frequently and have little fear―coming close for food. Eureka Park's population of creatures have similar experiences. The constant connection with humans at public parks has created a relationship between our species and the animals, which is expressed by the close distance and placid demeanor the animals portray around what used to be typical predators, humans. Although far less abundant than the North Texas squirrels, the ducks at Eureka Park are immensely friendly to the park visitors. I have been adopted by a flock of ducks and greeted in hopes of food whenever I return to the mandala. On October 9, 2013, the visit from the ducks was cut short at the beginning of my third trip to the mandala thanks to some friendly puppies. Public school had recently released, and Eureka Park was teeming with people, a large portion of the horde was families, children, and pets. The closest people to my location were there with a puppy, and although they attempted to remain a fair distance due to my obvious studious manner, the little pup wanted nothing more than to play with the ducks that swam a few yards from the edge. The ducks, of course, paddled away from the audacious puppy; there was nothing to gain or benefit from the dog, they knew the little guy did not have food. Urban ecological relationships date back thousands of years, it is believed humans' relationship with birds began in the Middle East perhaps ten thousand years ago and some species are “hypothesized to have become… obligate commensal species with humans because of year-round access to stored grain, and has also changed from a migratory to a sedentary lifestyle” (Niemelä 2011). Other animals often encountered by urban people, such as squirrels and sometimes deer, must have similar historical ecological mingling. Obtaining food and other necessities becomes much easier when it is provided readily by other species, whether through feeders, from yard plants, or even from domestic relationships. Relationships between humans and other species are beneficial; we co-inhabit urban and rural areas and share, on many occasions, symbiotic or commensal relationships.
The large positive impact other species have on humans is often unrecognized, even in parks. Aforementioned, upkeep of the park is managed to support its appeal at a healthy, populated basis, but nature also conducts maintenance within its own biota. Every visit, including October 12 and 13—my final days to my mandala, was filled with dragonfly-like creatures that zoomed about, completely disregarding my presence. Further investigation pointed me towards damselflies, more specifically the familiar bluet – Enallagma civile. These fascinating creatures are electric blue and look convincingly like dragonflies. Unlike dragonflies, whose eyes meet at the top of their head, damselflies are much smaller, their eyes are separated, and their wings are held together on their back when they land. Although slightly unknown, damselflies prove extremely beneficial to most people's sentiments towards certain bugs. Their diet is largely gnats and mosquitos, something most people would be grateful for if they were knowledgeable of the impact damselflies make on our comfortable lives. The mandala contained a swarm of hundreds of damselflies and one can only appreciate the park maintenance these creatures provide for our comfort by controlling mosquitos and gnats. It's obvious that this is a small example within thousands of beneficial services creatures, small and large offer, which coincidentally provide a more desired living situation for humans. Efforts towards sustainability and preservation of creatures should be infused into the social systems of humankind. Turner and Berkes (2006) assert an emphasis on cultural and social practices defining the importance of conservation in humanity, instead of the widely believed notion that conservation stems from a reaction against “catastrophic consequences.” The depth of conservation versus the depletion of resources can also be traced back to belief systems and “establishing a competency over a period of time.” Potential of traditional ecological knowledge regarding resource management and conservation is important to recognize and incorporate into Western society. Looking at the world from a holistic approach would create an opportunity to witness the importance of these factors. Flora and fauna contribute many positive functions for that are not being properly sustained for the benefit of both humans and other species in large areas of the world. Ecological understanding, as explained by Turner and Berkes, offers theories and notions that would spread “attributes embodied within traditional ecological knowledge” for the betterment of sustainability and conservation. These ideas run parallel with Haskell's approach in The Forest Unseen, Haskell seeks to create a relationship between nature and humankind rather than to reinforce our habit of living outside of and extracting from nature. Spreading these ideas into the households of Western societies would encourage everyday people to consider these goals, which are relevant within their daily lives.
The natural world is a well-functioning, self-sufficient system that adapts and develops to preserve itself, while humankind pushes the boundaries and tests the earth's own sustainability. Many argue humans' greed is pushing too hard and that sooner rather than later the damage will prove irreversible. The focus of conservation and sustainability should be on incorporating traditional societies' resource management and share the progress with other species in a symbiotically beneficial process. Embodying these practices and goals has the potential to kick start a new order and allow species to flourish in their ecosystem, supporting the natural benefits flora and fauna provide. The damselflies in the mandala offer an important example in which our species can appreciate their biological function of eating undesirable insects. On the other hand, a damselfly sneaking its way into a home of a person, for shelter, food, etc., would probably end up killed by the homeowner; nature is well-liked until it closes its distance to us. Animals are adapting to our modification of the world, for instance the ducks and squirrels utilizing urban areas; it is important for humans to consider adapting to the other species' needs as well. It would behoove members of western societies to take a step back and examine the potential of traditional societal practices and to accept other species as cohabitants on this planet rather than resources or disturbances.
"Aphanostephus Ramosissimus DC." USDA PLANTS. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.
Drees, Bastiaan M., and John A. Jt. Jackman. "Damselfly." A Field Guide to Texas Insects. Houston, TX: Gulf, 1998. N. pag. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. https://insects.tamu.edu.
Haskell, David George. The Forest Unseen: A Year's Watch in Nature. New York: Viking, 2012. 158-59. Print.
Niemelä, Jari. "Coupled Relationships between Humans and Other Organisms in Urban Areas." Urban Ecology: Patterns, Processes, and Applications. Oxford [England: Oxford UP, 2011. N. pag. Books.google.com. 3 Feb. 2011. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.
Turner, Nancy J., and Fikret Berkes. "Coming to Understanding: Developing Conservation through Incremental Learning in the Pacific Northwest." Human Ecology 34.4 (2006):495-513. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.
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