Jacob Stinson

Wildlife Conservation

R. Andrew Brown

UWRT 1103

November 17, 2015

Wildlife Conservation Literacy

Conservation is a key process at the Van Landingham Glen botanical garden on campus.

Without a doubt, the efforts made by the botanical specialists at school, and the Alpha Chi

Fraternity, make it what it is today. This strongly supported natural preservation ideology, along

with the maintenance, makes the garden a highly valued educational resource and also, a source

of relaxation. On this note, I will begin explaining why the wildlife conservation aspect was so

intriguing to me personally.

Before I begin, to understand my viewpoint on the subject, explaining my personal

definition of literacy will be a necessity. My definition of literacy may vary from others. In my

opinion, literacy deals with the knowledge relating to a subject and even more importantly, the

feelings and sensations within it. This ties perfectly with the literacy of conservation; an act in

which sensations of a true natural habitat are in constant affect and must be upheld with a sense

of knowledge. An effect that seems to have been mastered here at the Susie Wood and Van Glen

gardens. Now with these ideas in mind, I will explain my first trip to the gardens. The first time I

traveled to the gardens, a sense of extreme relaxation and joy came upon me. It was as if stress,

worrying, and time just slowly collapsed to an end. The constant thoughts in my head reminding

me of all the things I needed to do slowly faded away and I finally felt a glimpse of relief. It was

utterly fantastic and in the midst, became a sensation that will not be soon forgotten. However,

the sensations could not have been felt without the pure magnificence of the gardens.

Surprisingly, beauty was not a primary factor of awe for me. The organization, historic

monuments and conservation were what really struck me.

The organization of the trails, with conformity to the maps, give the gardens a

professional feeling. It was, and is the only, sense of structure in the middle of a truly conserved

habitat. Making the majority of the gardens a true natural habitat. This was the sensation that

struck me the most, the sense of true conservation. Not just simply conserving wildlife, but

letting it run its course without human disruption. When a tree falls down, it won’t be moving

any time soon and that is what intrigues me the most. Instead of wildlife conforming to

humanistic conservation, humans conform to the natural ways of the forest. An idea that I

believe could be applied in many ways of life, because conforming and conserving is needed for

the survival of the human race and understanding the true process of it is crucial. It is not always

a sign of weakness when you conform or conserve, it shows your in-depth knowledge of the

subject and that the natural way of doing things is sometimes the best way. Although I have yet

to master this literacy, I am far from completely understanding it and there is much to be learned.

Things that I wish to learn mainly deal with how to approach this conservation issue and

when it applies to my daily life. We all know that there are things in life that need to be

conserved, but picking out which things to keep and throw away can be a hassle. It could be life

changing to know when to conserve those good habits and thoughts from within, and when to

chuck them out because they are harmful. Not every action and behavior can be explained, but I

believe this ideology of conserving can help you grow a natural and happier way of life. At first,

these thoughts on my “conservation literacy” sounded very distant and non-appealing. But in

time, they grew on me and led me to the realization that conserving is far beyond just materials

in life. It is a process of holding on to something and nurturing it. Just like the gardens here at

UNCC. When well managed and maintained, they prosper and continue to grow from within.

They don’t need straight lines or paths telling them where to go, they just need a sense of natural

conservation. This is exactly why I think that if you can master conservation, you will feel

happier in life and most definitely, more emotionally attached to the good things that you are

capable of doing. The constant fear of bad situations and moments in life can be reduced by

holding on to the positives in life. This is why it’s all about being positive and knowing that in

time, those little positive things can grow to be extremely impactful in the world.