Catherine Knight

New book: “Ravaged Beauty” – an environmental history

envirohistory NZ7 Comments
coverThe long-awaited Ravaged Beauty: an environmental history of the Manawatu is available June 2014
.
Ravaged Beauty tells the story of one place, from prehistory to today. But its themes are universal. What motivates the human desire to modify and exploit their natural environment, and have people learned anything from the consequences? Read this new book to find out.
.

Only a century and a half ago, the Manawatu was a heavily forested hinterland: the floodplains were a sea of swamps and lagoons, teeming with birdlife, eels and other fish; the hills and terraces were covered with thick impenetrable forest, refuge perhaps to a few lingering moa. Continue reading →

Environmental history in NZ: seven reasons why it’s important

envirohistory NZ1 Comment
This image taken by Charles E. Wildbore circa 1907 shows the rural mail delivery that operated in the Pohangina Valley. The background of scorched, leafless tree trunks and limbs draws the eye of the environmental historian. Palmerston North City Library, ID 2007N_Poh2_RTL_0852
This image taken by Charles E. Wildbore circa 1907 shows the rural mail delivery that operated in the Pohangina Valley. It is the background of scorched, leafless tree trunks and limbs that draws the eye of the environmental historian, rather than the mail cart or people in the foreground. Palmerston North City Library, ID 2007N_Poh2_RTL_0852

Why should we study New Zealand’s environmental history? and how is it different from “conventional” history?

These are the questions that Paul Star asks in his essay entitled Environmental history and New Zealand history, first written in 2008, but recently republished on Environment and Nature in New Zealand.

Star offers seven compelling reasons why it is important. And of course, the key difference between environmental history and history is that while people are the central players in conventional history, the relationship between people and the environment is the focus in environmental history. Continue reading →

Creating a Pastoral World through Fire: the case of the Manawatu

envirohistory NZLeave a comment
Hiwinui farmscape JPG
“Rolling hill country” of the Manawatu, a landscape created by fire. Photo: C. Knight

This article, published in the lastest issue of the Journal of New Zealand Studies, examines the role of fire in the opening up of bush country in the region of Manawatu for pastoral farming. Within only a few decades, bush burns had transformed a densely forested environment into one of verdant pasture – leaving only the charred stumps and limbs of incinerated trees as evidence of the dense, impenetrable forest that once harboured moa and other ancient forest creatures. Continue reading →

Landscape of juxtaposition: view from a graveyard

envirohistory NZLeave a comment

Graveyard and windmillsYesterday, we ventured out on a photography expedition for my near-complete book exploring the environmental history of the Manawatu. (See: A racy title is one thing, but what’s the book actually about?) Many adventures awaited us, including an amorous kunekune pig and his similarly friendly ostrich companion, residents of a historic farm at Karere.

At Ashhurst, I was unable to resist this landscape – a poignant juxtaposition between old and new. Continue reading →

A racy title is one thing, but what’s the book actually about?

envirohistory NZ4 Comments
A fantail doing some of the aerial acrobatics it is known for at Anzac Park, Palmerston North. Wind turbines can be seen on the Tararua Ranges in the background. Anzac Park is a significant – but little celebrated – historical site; known as Motu o Poutoa, it was a strategically important Rangitane pa before it was destroyed by an invading tribe. Photo by Paul Knight.

It occurred to me that readers might want to know more about the book before offering an opinion on a title for it! (See: What’s the best title? Please vote! and What’s in a title? Your ideas please!) So here is a synopsis:

Few today would describe the Manawatū as spectacular or iconic – it is unlikely to adorn a tourist brochure promoting New Zealand. But behind this domesticated landscape is a story of transformation so dramatic that few could even imagine how “wild” – primeval, even – this landscape was only a little more than a century ago. Continue reading →

What’s the best title? Please vote!

envirohistory NZ1 Comment

I am getting super-sophisticated now! I realised that there is a poll function in WordPress, and thought, what better opportunity to try it out! This should make it easy for everyone. And, it also allows you to give me your fantastic ideas. (Feel free to post your comments too.) Please see previous post What’s in a title? Your ideas please! for background.

Also see: A racy title is one thing, but what’s the book actually about? for a synopsis of the book.

Note that the following options are the title only; the subtitle will be “An Environmental History of the Manawatu”

What’s in a title? Your ideas please!

envirohistory NZ23 Comments
moa-footprints-1912
The moa footprints discovered in 1912 on the banks of the Manawatu River. This photograph was included in the report of the discovery, published in the Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

It’s been a bit quiet on the blogging front lately, as I have been busy getting as much writing done on my book as I can before the Claude McCarthy Fellowship I was so fortunate to receive finishes. The book examines the environmental history of the Manawatu Region, in the lower North Island of New Zealand, from pre-history through to today (see: Manawatu’s environmental past to be documented), and I have been working on it (between work, family and life) for a couple of years now. (See: A racy title is one thing, but what’s the book actually about? for a synopsis of the book.)

Making progress on writing has been further challenged by the arrival earlier this year of our baby girl, Caitlyn. Caitlyn is known to make her feelings very clear when I spend too much time staring at the screen of my laptop, rather than gazing at/playing with/talking to her. Continue reading →

The “turbulent” history of wind farms in the Manawatu

envirohistory NZ5 Comments
Te Apiti wind farm
Te Apiti wind farm, near Ashhurst. Photo by Ashhurst.org.

One of the topics I have been researching for my book documenting the environmental history of the Manawatu Region (see: Manawatu’s environmental past to be documented) are wind farms. This is a fascinating story, not so much because of the wind farms themselves, but in terms of the clear evolution in thinking around wind farms. The contrast between the public response to the early wind farms in the Manawatu and the later ones could not be more dramatic. Continue reading →

Discovering our own “sacred groves”

envirohistory NZ4 Comments
Mt Haguro Shrine Annie Wu Epoch Times.jpg
Mt Haguro Shrine, Japan. Annie Wu/Epoch Times.

When I lived in Japan, I took great pleasure from visiting Shinto shrines. Though I am not a religious person, there was something very spiritual and calming about these places. They were a place of solace and quietude. Shrines were sometimes only very small and simple affairs – often hidden in an unexpected corner of a bustling urban landscape. Continue reading →

Drama over Kapiti Island

envirohistory NZLeave a comment

IMG_3280And, in continuation of this ad-hoc series of it’s not always about environmental history, here is a shot of Kapiti Island a few minutes after the previous one.