human-nature relationship Archives

Event

Wildlife Recovery Book Launch & Community Discussion w/ Philosopher Christopher Preston

This book launch & community discussion on wildlife recovery led by philosopher Christopher Preston will take place in the Large Community Center at Lewis & Clark Library on Thursday, March 30th. Learn more & RSVP here!

Philosophy Symposia: Our Relationship with Nature (Gaia & Indigenous Perspectives)

Our Fall symposia will focus on our relationship with nature. Conversational & interactive in format, scholars will consider Gaia Theory & Indigenous perspectives and involve discussions and reflections about the inter-connectivity of earth (and its inhabitants), mythology, science, literature, and ethics. Friday, September 23rd – Sunday, September 25th. Featuring guest scholars Martin Ogle, MS (Educator, Wildlife Scientist & Chief Naturalist Emeritus for the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority) & Lailani Upham, MA (Educator, Journalist, Storyteller, Environmentalist, Amskapi Pikuni (Blackfeet Nation) tribal member, and a descendent from the Aaniiih, Nakoda, and Dakota tribes).

Philosophy Symposia: Our Relationship with Nature (Gaia & Indigenous Perspectives)

Elk Shoulder Seasons Ineffective–Time to Think Outside the Box

Montana is home to a lot of elk—134,557 to be more precise. Elk reign prominently in our state’s identity and Montana is better for it. Yet, according to the Elk Management Plan put forth by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP), this is 42,419 elk too many. In this article, 2019 Merlin Community Scholar Fellow Thomas Baumeister, discusses the numerous practical and moral challenges of elk shoulder seasons. Read more!

A Phenomenology of Mass-Produced Things and Our Relation with the More-than-human World

In this paper, Henry Kramer, explores the human-technology relationship and argues that “our perception of mass-produced things, a perception unique to and only possible within technological culture, dulls our senses and de-emphasizes the basic materiality of all things, thereby discouraging connection and engagement with the more-than-human world.” An iteration of this paper was presented at the 16th Annual Gonzaga Graduate Philosophy Conference and received the Hutchins Award in Philosophy for best paper in the conference. It is featured here on our website by permission of the author. Read more here!

The Democracy of Wolf Conservation

No other species on this planet elicits stronger emotions in us than the wolf. This should come as no surprise. After all, it’s the wolf which has been in our presence the longest, it’s the wolf with whom we’ve shared our ancestral dwellings and whose descendants we keep as pets today, and it’s the wolf who has shaped our humanity and our relationship to wildness like no other. In this article, 2019 Merlin Community Scholar Fellow Thomas Baumeister, discusses the role of adaptive management, pragmatism, and engaged citizenry in wolf conservation.

Measure of the Hunt: Elk Deserve Better

Elk are elk and their worth does not rely on us, though it is influenced by our ability to identify and communicate that value. If we truly love and appreciate elk, it’s time for hunters to reclaim the ethical highroad of fair chase hunting that honors elk for what they are and demands the hunter to be the very best he or she can be. In this article, 2019 Merlin Community Scholar Fellow Thomas Baumeister, discusses two different “measures” of hunting, how fairness and respect are part and parcel of reverence, and why reinstating the ethical pursuit of the hunted as a measure is important.