Jennie Pahl The elusiveness of Nature

"The term nature is notoriously elusive...." Making Nature Sacred (pg 5)



The term nature is just like wilderness. Both of these terms can be defined in an endless amount of ways and no one can tell you that your definition is worng. Words like these are often given a definition by the experience that an individual has with them. So what make nature, Nature? The dictionary defines nature as the natural world as it exists without human beings or civilization (dictionary.com). If nature is the natural world without human beings than how has any human being experienced nature? You can't experience it if you aren't allowed to be there. This term is one that kind of allows you to make your own definition. In that sense it is pretty fun, but then what is the general populations idea of nature? Does everyone have the same underlying standards for nature? Is nature something that is learned or taught? What exactly constitutes nature? It seems like there is no right or wrong... For ever answer you come up with there will always be one to counter it. So is there a way to make nature not so elusive?