Gilbert White, Aldo Leopold, And Edward Abbey: A Report
As an environmentalist, attention to detail in nature is necessary. Not only does nature consist of the beautiful larger picture, but also the miniscule seeds and crawling insects as much as the towering trees and puffy clouds. Oftentimes, the small aspects of nature are lost in favor of the larger picture. In three different climates and geographic locations, Gilbert White, Aldo Leopold, and Edward Abbey exhibit in their writings how close observation is an essential aspect of nature that is forgotten about and actively ignored by most. White’s writings are organized in letters; Letter XXVII is about hedgehogs and their development. This particular letter is full of specific information that is only derived from very close observation of
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Leopold wrote, “Thinking like a Mountain,” which highlights his close observations of nature, but in a much different manner than White’s. In this piece, White describes the green light recede out of the eyes of a wolf he had just killed. “We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes—something known only to her and to the mountain,” (Leopold, 381). A wolf is a much larger creature than the hedgehog; however, because Leopold focuses on the fire in the wolf’s eyes, he is participating in a close observation of the wolf. The wolf was hurt and dying, which allowed Leopold to approach her without fear. His close proximity to the wolf allowed for him to view the color in her eyes and to watch as it faded away. From Leopold’s close observation, he understood a balance and harmony found between the mountain and the wolf that he had just disrupted. Rather than a surface level of observation like White’s, Leopold’s was emotional and interacted with the geography as well as an animal. This observation illuminated the relationship that all living beings are involved in, as well as the repercussions that can occur when humans interact with the balance. The close observations made by White were great for the physical understanding of hedgehogs, but Leopold’s close observation focused on the spiritual bond between the living animals and its
Leopold wrote, “Thinking like a Mountain,” which highlights his close observations of nature, but in a much different manner than White’s. In this piece, White describes the green light recede out of the eyes of a wolf he had just killed. “We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes—something known only to her and to the mountain,” (Leopold, 381). A wolf is a much larger creature than the hedgehog; however, because Leopold focuses on the fire in the wolf’s eyes, he is participating in a close observation of the wolf. The wolf was hurt and dying, which allowed Leopold to approach her without fear. His close proximity to the wolf allowed for him to view the color in her eyes and to watch as it faded away. From Leopold’s close observation, he understood a balance and harmony found between the mountain and the wolf that he had just disrupted. Rather than a surface level of observation like White’s, Leopold’s was emotional and interacted with the geography as well as an animal. This observation illuminated the relationship that all living beings are involved in, as well as the repercussions that can occur when humans interact with the balance. The close observations made by White were great for the physical understanding of hedgehogs, but Leopold’s close observation focused on the spiritual bond between the living animals and its