On the subject of seasonal markers, fungi are another sign of the arrival of autumn. Both my four-year old son and I have been delighted by the fungi that seemingly appear overnight under a copse of pine trees near our home. Continue reading
Month: May 2013
The influence of seasons on culture and environmental perceptions
Something that envirohistory NZ‘s northern hemisphere readers may not realise is that in New Zealand’s indigenous landscape there are fewer seasonal markers, particularly on a wider landscape scale. Most of our indigenous forest trees are evergreen rather than deciduous, and few have leaves which change colour with the seasons. Even the flowers of indigenous trees plants tend to be small and rather less showy than their international counterparts.
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The effect of personal memory on environmental consciousness
I have often wondered why I am so interested in the link between deforestation, flooding and erosion. I put it down to my love of forested environments, and therefore my interest in the history of these environments. But it has occurred to me that it is perhaps more than this – that it relates also to personal memory, of an event in the environmental history of my lifetime.
That event was Cyclone Bola, which hit the east coast of the North Island in March 1988, when I was a teenager. Continue reading
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