By Kylie Bill ‘21 Feature Writer

“We need wilderness whether or not we ever set foot in it. We need a refuge even though we may never need to go there. I may never in my life get to Alaska, for example, but I am grateful that it’s there. We need the possibility of escape as surely as we need hope; without it the life of the cities would drive all men into crime or drugs or psychoanalysis.”― Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire

Above is a quote from Edward Abbey’s autobiographical work Desert Solitaire. In the book, he recounts his time spent mostly in solitude as a park ranger at Arches National Park in Utah. In this quote he captures the emotional benefits of nature, explaining how humans often take for granted the mere existence of the outdoors. During this time of isolation, nature is simultaneously providing the possibility of escape and hope. I’ve noticed this as I’ve been going on runs throughout my town; almost everyone is outside for as much as possible. Trails I used to run on that were completely empty have now been closed since they became populated with people trying to find that same escape. 

Overall, this has created an increased appreciation for the intrinsic beauty of nature, as the coronavirus has exposed how our environmental value systems and consumerism have been intertwined. Many humans approach nature as something that will satisfy their needs, taking the conservationist approach of only wanting to protect nature in order to keep resources available in the future. However, social distancing is forcing everyone to recognize that nature is valuable in and of itself as well, causing us to consider a more preservationist perspective. This would mean seeing nature as something humans coexist with and give back to, in a mutual relationship. 

Preservationism is something members of the NA community have experienced especially since we live in New Jersey, where nature is surprisingly accessible and present. Haniya Cheema ‘21 discussed how social distancing has impacted her relationship with nature: “I try to explore new places in my town that I’ve never seen before. I think I do it to prevent cabin fever. I’ve never appreciated [nature] like I do right now. It’s nice to know that no matter how turbulent the rest of the world is, I can still get lost in the woods.” Additionally, Penelope Jennings ‘22 recounts how social distancing has led her to notice small details in nature she didn’t before: “There’s a tarp over the table on our patio and there’s some spots that sink down and get filled with water and I’ve seen birds in there using it as a birdbath and I’ve never noticed that before.” In general, people seem to have  shifted their mindset towards the importance of going outside in their daily routine. When many students and staff members are regularly spending almost 12 hours at NA every day, they enjoy the outdoors during sports practices because,  by the time they return home, it is too late to go outside. However, social distancing is forcing us to become more aware of the emotional benefits of being in nature simply for enjoyment or to avoid boredom. 

The way nature has reacted to the virus has also revealed more about our destructive relationship with the environment. Obviously, when humans aren’t traveling, the negative impacts on the environment decrease. Air pollution, roadkill, water pollution, and other human-caused disruptions to nature  have significantly decreased over the past couple of months. We can see this across the globe as nitrogen dioxide emissions (which contribute to the creation of photochemical smog)  from cars have decreased, and carbon dioxide emissions have decreased dramatically. However, how long will this shift last? Historically, as the economy improves emissions increase so this shift is most likely temporary. Nevertheless, the way we treat nature and interact with our environment could have a more long-term shift. Hopefully, an appreciation for the environment can translate into actions we take to help the environment. While the environment is healing right now, this won’t last unless we change our behavior and how we treat the environment.