Intro to Environmental Studies Spring 2026

Today in class, we watched a documentary about the reintroduction of wild bison into the Banff National Park in Canada. The film mentioned how there were many citizens who were hesitant about this project. This included the possible negative effects on the local wildlife populations, like elk and wolves, and disruption of overall vegetation due to over-grazing. 7 years after the project began, the project leads came out with news that shocked everyone. Through their studies, there was no overgrazing of the land; in fact, the effect was opposite. Because the wallows created bare ground, pioneer species could grow. The leads also shared that the populations of wolves and elk had no negative effects from the bison. I found this in particular to be really shocking. When we first started the film, my immediate thought was what about the native animal species, so it was relieving to find out they were unaffected. 

Ending the documentary about water-borne illnesses had me wanting to learn more about them and their prevalence. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated in 2022 that over 400 million people consumed water from unprotected and untreated water sources, like wells, lakes, rivers, etc. This is honestly very shocking to me. I understood that the issue of water access was far from over, but that number is much higher than I was imagining.  Contaminated water can lead to diseases like cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid, and polio. Polio has been eliminated for decades due to medical advances, like vaccinations, but it can be contracted in low-vaccination spots. In the US, there is less than 20 diagnosed cholera cases and under 400 diagnosed typhoid cases annually. Compared to developing countries, where there are between 1-4 million cases of cholera and 9-20 million cases of typhoid annually. This sharp contrast highlights how access to clean water and healthcare infrastructure directly in...

     Our recent discussion of watersheds and water supply has made me more interested in learning about where Newport News (NN) gets its water, how CNU manages water supply, and where the wastewater goes. On the NN website, it says that the regional water provider is Newport News Waterworks, which is owned and operated by the City of Newport News. (https://www.nnva.gov/151/Waterworks) They share that the water is collected from the Chickahominy River, which begins southwest of Hanover and ventures down to the James River. It is then stored in 1 of 5 reservoirs, where it is prepped and eventually sent to homes and businesses. This is how CNU gets the water used around campus.      Wastewater at CNU is divided into two categories: sanitary wastewater and stormwater runoff. Water from sinks, showers, and toilets is sent to the Hampton Roads Sanitation District in Virginia Beach. Stormwater runoff is collected in separate sewers seen around campus, some labeled...

In class, we watched documentaries that talked to farmers across the continent who practice regenerative farming. Regenerative farming can be described as a holistic farming approach that prioritizes soil health, biodiversity, and water management while producing food. The first document, Herd Impact, followed farmers in Texas. They shared how their land has changed for the better since adopting this sustainable practice, highlighting the land before and after. When they started, there were many dry, bare patches of clay throughout their land. But in the few years after they began regenerative farming practices, the clay turned into soil, which brought dormant native plants to bloom. The following film, Soil Carbon Cowboys,  shows another aspect of promoting biodiversity. The farmers share how they create cocktail mixes, a mixture of various plant seeds that are spread across the land. They describe how this improves soil nutrient levels, such as carbon and nitrogen, and attracts p...

 Elinor Ostrom's argument from Beyond the Tragedy of the Commons connects closely to The Drift: The American Cattle Drive by demonstrating how shared resources don't suddenly collapse when users create and follow their own rules. In the documentary, cattle drivers moving herds along open ranges depended on informal systems, like trails, timing, and grazing space, to prevent overuse and conflict. Instead of acting in self-interest (like Hardin's tragedy predicts), the ranchers develop cooperative standards, respecting water access points and avoiding overuse of routes/pastures. This is aligned with Ostrom's idea that the commons can be locally managed. The practices show that even without strict government control, communities can sustainably manage shared resources through trust, communication, and self-regulation.

 Thinking back to our discussions about geo-aesthetics, the concept made me think of the landscaping here at CNU. Just about every day, I see crews working on the greenery around campus. It reminded me of our talk connecting the Versailles Gardens to the human effort of making the wild orderly. Similarly, CNU's execution of perfect lawns, pruned shrubs, and carefully maintained flowerbeds shows how much intention and effort are put into making the landscape appear natural but orderly. The lawns are continuously taken care of and never left to overgrow. And the planting of trees, bushes, and flowers are symmetrial to one another. The campus becomes an example of how people attempt to place structure and symmetry onto the environment, turning the wild, raw outdoors into an artificial aesthetic experience.