Natural by Design

Is the brick house built by a human as natural as the nest built by a robin? And, if so, is the vinyl sided house also just as much a natural product of human nesting? No? Then what is a robin’s nest when it is built of twigs and tinsel and olefin carpet threads?

Let’s take another approach. If we consider what humans create to be artificial then is a manicured lawn no longer natural? What is a human-made trail through a nature preserve?

An environmental symbologist explores the symbolic significance of the human environment, both built and natural. Pictured here is Hanauma Bay, Oahu, a place set aside as a natural place for humans to visit and explore. What is the meaning of this place to Hawaii? What is the concept of natural to natives, locals, and visitors? Consider how the perspective of an environmental symbologist can serve the preservation of natural spaces.