This image to me represents freedom because it looks like a peaceful place where you would go to relax. This is also my favorite season, summer. I really like the colors in this image. Summer is a colorful season with all the flowers, the nice ocean water, and the bright sun. It also represents culture for me because where I come from, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, this is the type of weather that we have over there. The two islands are always bright with nice, hot weather. This is part of my culture because this is what makes the Caribbean so unique from every other place.

Williams’ bedrock of democracy, in the case of nature, means having laws that protect the wilderness and all of our natural resources and respecting and following those laws. This landscape functions as Williams’ bedrock of democracy because it is well conserved. This tells us that this specific place is considered important and it is respected by the authorities and the people in general. Williams mentions that there were people who were unhappy with the way that the Clinton administration cared for our natural resources. When Bush became President, people had the hope that he would have a better interpretation of the law and the importance of natural resources. This image that I chose reflects the appreciation of nature, the application of the law, and the unanimous decision to maintain the place.

I agree with Kingsolver that we need wildness because of obvious reasons like watersheds that provide clean drinking water, the wildness filters and cleans the air we breathe, and there are animals that call the wildness their home. We need wildness in order to take care of our basic human needs. If you are a city dweller, you can still experience a connection with the earth and your history by educating yourself on nature. Also, a good way of connecting with the earth is by taking the time to visit the wildness and spending some time observing it and breathing in the fresh air. This can help you gain a new perspective of nature and its importance. Even within the city we can connect with nature by going to the zoo, visiting a garden, and/or working on your own backyard.

Annotated Bibliography

Barbara Kingsolver. “Knowing Our Place”.

http://www.pbs.org/now/printable/transcript_smallwonder_print.html

“Why Protect Wilderness”.

https://www.wilderness.org/articles/article/why-protect-wilderness

Terry Tempest Williams. “Home Work”.

https://umassd.umassonline.net/bbcswebdav/pid-1486221-dt-content-rid-14847524_1/courses/D2930-12852_MASTER/Scanned%20from%20a%20Xerox%20multifunction%20device001%283%29.pdf