This marks the end of the fall semester here at St. Joseph’s College and the freshman seminar that created this blog. I thank each and every one of the students for their insightful comments, images, and posts and hope that any visitors will enjoy the ways in which Nature inspires us to reflection and appreciation. A big thank you goes out to David Macauley whose work Elemental Philosophy served as the catalyst for this blog and our own discussions and posts.
W. C. Turgeon
12/15/20
Stone is a really cool element in nature that people often don’t appreciate as much as others. Stones seem so simple, and when I think of them initially, I see them as dull and boring. However, if you really study them and think in depth, you can actually discover some pretty cool things. I’ve been to Bermuda twice, and each time my family visited the Crystal Caves. I had never seen anything like them, and when I went there for the first time it was breathtaking. It was so cool to see something that looked so ancient in modern day, knowing that it looked so similar a very long time ago. The tour guide explained the history of the caves by telling us how they were discovered, teaching us about the type of stone, etc. The second time I went, I walked around and observed the sights around me, and believe it or not it was just as interesting. I noticed new things as I walked around, and was just amazed by the entire experience. I’m definitely not an earth science or geology person, but seeing the caves in Bermuda really captured my interest and is something I’ll never forget!
While I was in California, I also visited Joshua Tree National Park. We went there to stargaze. In cities and suburban areas, it is so difficult to see stars because of all the light pollution in those areas. At Joshua Tree, you are able to see the sky so clearly because it is a desert and there is no light pollution. I have never experienced night when it was that dark, and I was able to see more stars than I have ever been able to see before. It shows how big of an issue light pollution is, and how it takes away the beauty of the stars and leaves us unable to appreciate it. Without light pollution, you can see stars and aspects of the sky that you are not usually able to notice. It was so clear and beautiful, and light pollution has really robbed many people of the experience of stargazing in a dark, clear sky.
