Discussion Question 7

The most enchanting experience I've had with the non-human world occurred during my trip to Machu Picchu two summers ago.  Although Machu Picchu is a remnant of a past human civilization, the Incas, it was still a moving experience in terms of the nature I was surrounded by during my time there.  I was moved by the imposing mountains that surrounded this landmark, which the Incas worshipped as gods. In fact, Machu Picchu means "old mountain," one of two mountains, the other Huayna Picchu, meaning "young mountain," that demarcate the bounds of this ancient settlement. In these mountains and the surrounding nature, the Incas found shapes of pumas, condors, and serpents, their most holy and common animals, and I imagined what this place must have been like when the Incas inhabited it.  I took many pictures of the diverse wildlife still common at Machu Picchu, including lizards, birds, and even wild chinchillas. Llamas roamed free throughout the grounds.  I took a little adventure down the side of one of the hills, enjoying the flora and fauna away from any other tourists visiting the site.  The mountainside was silent and still, and I looked out over the same earth the Incas had seen hundreds of years ago with a sense of awe.  It made me feel very small in the world, and it made the world seem so ancient and powerful.  I thought about how, after the site was abandoned hundreds of years ago, it was swallowed up by the jungle, covered in vines and greenery, its stones and terraces made a part of the earth again.  In short, there has been no experience so moving for me as my visit to Machu Picchu, a trip I recommend to all.

Huayna Picchu

Machu Picchu

The Shape of a Condor Between Two Mountains

Lizard

Llama

Wild Chinchilla

Saving nature is certainly something we should concern ourselves with.  My personal motivation is purely a love of nature.  I would hate to not be able to experience the awe of the majesties provided by the earth.  There are so many gorgeous, tranquil, moving sites I have yet to experience-- the icebergs of Patagonia, tropical rainforests including the Amazon, the Himalayan mountains, etc.  For me, it would be a tragedy for these sites to either disappear or be degraded.  But there are other, more "practical," reasons for preserving nature as well.  We need it to survive.  It provides us with so many resources, so many medical treatments.  It provides the biodiversity in ecosystems that makes this planet unique from all the others that have so far been discovered.  Our climate hangs in a delicate balance, and we need to preserve forests, icebergs, and mountain ice caps to maintain the health of the planet we wish to continue inhabiting.  Conservation, therefore, is a task well worth taking up.