How Much Does Nature Cost? (Western Pon Team B)

This topic submitted by Crockett, Knight, Spinks ( westernpond@hotmail.com ) on 1/24/02 .

John-Thomas Crockett
Genevieve Knight
Ben Spinks

How Much Does Nature Cost?:
An examination of the environmental, cultural, and social costs and benefits of the Western Pond.

The Western Pond is an interesting place to begin discussion on the impact that man has, does, and will continue to have on nature because the pond itself is an artificial (man-made) landscape. Of all the questions we may ask about the pond, the people that built and maintain it, or the ecosystem that it currently sustains, or the larger one that was disrupted when it was built, perhaps the most paramount asks "What do human's think of nature that they seek to form it to their own needs and demands?" and "Is this generalized human view of nature evolving (or devolving) as humans come to understand more about the finite nature of the physical universe and the earth in particular?"

We hope to take a look through time (past, present, and future) at environmental, cultural, and social issues concerning our very own duck pond. The pond is an ideal case study because we feel we will be able to evaluate its impact on the natural landscape, the living organisms that it immediately and indirectly affects, and the people of the Oxford area.

Natural History (Environmental Sciences):
We hope to evaluate and analyze the Western Pond and its ecosystem using sediment tests, topographical maps, historical records and field experiments. Starting from the area before the pond was present, we will look at the history of the location as a watershed and an ecosystem. We will examine what affect the pond has had on the water flow activity, on the organisms in and around the pond and on the large landscape.
Cultural History (Humanities):
We hope to examine the human costs and benefits of the landscape and how the pond has affected people within the surrounding community. To do this, we hope to use the Western Archives, the Smith Collection at the Lane Public Library, and interviews and first hand accounts. We hope to gather opinions from people with varied stances on the pond, and on what should be done with the pond now that it supports an ecosystem unto itself.

Social History (Social Sciences):
Our final objective is to expand our discussion of the pond to human interaction with nature, specifically artificial landscapes. We would like to evaluate the social, environmental, and cultural costs and benefits of the pond within the context of "What is the pond (and artificial landscapes in general) worth to us as humans (and our happiness/ satisfaction)?" Though this is such a broad question that we can only speak to it as opposed to answer it, we believe that this is the logical conclusion to our past, present , and future interdisciplinary analysis of the Western Pond.

Works Cited:
web pages~
http://es.epa.gov/ncerqa_abstracts/grants/97/ecorest/resetari.html
http://www.brent-waterways.com/index.htm
http://www.arabianwildlife.com/archive/vol1.2/birpar.htm (?)
http://www.thecontentwell.com/Fish_Game/Catfish/Lakes_manmade.html
http://www.teachfish.org/NewFiles/culture.htm
http://www.anl.gov/ESH/anleser/1994/chapter2/2_13.html (*)
http://www.atlanticyard.com/articlewater.htm

journal texts~
Jarvis, T. Destry. Stress Value
Crompton, John L. The Impact of parks on property value
Anonymous. Restoring Land, Comunnity, and Soul
Vaughen, Laurie Perry. Take Me to The River
Terninko, Anne Van Niel, John L. Finger Lakes College
Shindler David W. A dim future for boreal waters & landscapes
Chang, Jessie. Riversode Remedies.

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