I think a major problem with today’s world is urban sprawl—the constant expansion of cities without thought regarding preserving our natural world. In Life on Waller Creek, Jones says “in cities…we should be giving high priority to preserving every natural pocket still available, with the practical aim of helping preserve ourselves.” (746) I fully agree with this statement; humans have been and will always be a part of the natural world, despite our constant efforts to civilize and tame anything that isn’t regular, orderly, and predictable. I know I need to experience the natural world regularly in order to feel part of this world. I could never live in a place with no trees, no exciting change of seasons.

I remember when visiting New York City, I was shocked to see how bare and gloomy the streets seemed without all of the trees I am used to seeing. I found myself missing the greenery from my old neighborhood in Dallas.

Similar to Megan’s contrast between Munich and Berlin, I found a drastic contrast between the city of Barcelona and New York City concerning the treatment of nature. While the streets I remember walking down in New York seemed geometric and harsh, Las Ramblas in Barcelona was lined with trees, meshing together the natural world with a major shopping area.

I think it is very important to accommodate the natural world as we plow forward with our monstrous buildings and developments. Urban sprawl is a subject I feel hits very close to home. My family’s lake house, which has been with us since my father and uncle were children, used to be where we could escape from the city. I immediately associate the place with my childhood and growing up; it was where I could, like Jone’s example of a child, “feed [my] natural appetite for discovery, [my] primitive curiosity” (751). Hours were spent picking wildflower bouquets, hiding in the tall grasses, catching bugs, climbing trees, and swimming in the lake. Unfortunately, this idyllic place will never be the same for me. Suburban developments are sprouting up all around; this is no longer the place I remember.

Who knows how we, as humans, can fix this problem. While we have a need to conquer and expand, the natural world is often forgotten even though it is so essential in our everyday lives.