Journal #5 - Can Nature be Manmade?

Some late night thoughts as I procrastinate studying for my exams...

The world we live in today is so industrial. It seems like almost everything is built by man. From the tallest skyscrapers in the world to manmade rivers and parks. The human hand is capable of constructing anything. This is an amazing feat in itself, but it is scary at the same time. Humans can imitate almost anything. They can imitate rivers, a forest, lakes—you name it, the human hand has probably constructed it.

In respects to nature that is made by humans (parks, trails, manmade lakes, dams, etc.) is it truly possible that it actually qualifies as nature? Do these aspects of nature have the same effects and benefits on the individual as if the individual were to immerse himself/herself completely in true, authentic nature?

Naturally, I went to google to try and answer this question. The first thing that came up in my google search was an article about 6 Man-Made Things You Totally Thought Were ‘Natural.’ This peaked my interest, so I clicked on it. I was surprised to find the following on the list:

1.       The entire Amazon Basin

2.       Most fruits and vegetables

3.       Yellowstone National Park’s Morning Glory Hot Spring

4.       Increase in earthquakes

5.       Most domestic animals

6.       Spiders

I thought this list was a little strange but it perked my mind for further reflection into the topic. When I think of nature, I think of the wilderness. Places, animals, plants, etc. that are truly wild. These places are not inhabited or built by humans. It is something that “mother nature” has mindfully put on the earth as part of the circle of life. The animals that inhabit these wild places are not domesticated. They are completely wild. They run free. The plants are wild. No man comes to trim the plants that are intruding upon others. They are free to grow as they please, in all their beauty.

Versailles

A garden of Versailles

When I think of places that are manmade, my mind randomly wanders to the Palace of Versailles. I visited Versailles about a year ago and was taken aback by the extravagant beauty that was the palace as well as the endless gardens that surrounded the property. However, even though Versailles was absolutely stunning and beautiful, it felt artificial to me. As if man was trying too hard to get nature to surround this palace. It did not feel natural.

A rose at a garden in Versailles

I did not feel the peace that I have felt when I have fully immersed myself in wild and un-tame nature. There was not any air of mystery surrounding the gardens of Versailles. It was all safe and known. It made me feel like I was not alone.

In contrast, when I have fully immersed myself in nature (for example, when I was in Switzerland), I felt peaceful. I could look around me and appreciate the world, what Mother Nature or some higher powers thought to put on this earth, and honestly just be in absolute awe of the beauty that surrounded me. At the same time though, it was scary. It is scary unplugging yourself from the real world. Leaving your phone behind, not talking to friends, and just being with nature. It is scary, but it is also so humbling. It is a feeling I would not change for the entire world.

My late night thoughts did have a point, I promise! In all, I do not think it is possible for nature to be manmade. I believe that men can make parks, rivers, and other seemingly natural establishments. This is better than no nature at all. However, this type of nature will never have the same effect as pure, untouched nature. There is something about experiencing nature that is humbling, clarifying and puts the world in perspective. These are characteristics that the human hand will never be able to imitate.