Jean Ng 2D/06

This picture is shows a pathway in the botanic gardens, splitting nature into two separate parts. To me, the picture looks like someone had deliberately bulldozed his way through the greenery, and that someone is Man.

When this park was built, a part of nature definitely had to be destroyed in order to make structures like buildings and pathways, even though the botanic gardens is a nature park and is supposed to convey the idea of preserving nature. Parks in general are a form of Man trying to bring back what they have lost though industrialization. Man is trying to preserve whatever he has left of nature and teach the future generations to learn not to exploit nature as well. However, in building such parks, they inevitably destroy more of nature, and add human touches to nature. It will all be worth it if people begin to appreciate nature because of nature parks and stop exploiting nature, however that will never happen because Man relies too heavily on nature for resources.



This picture shows a notice in the botanic gardens telling pet owners not to bring their pets to the botanic gardens as their urine will be absorbed by the granite boulders and fossilized tree trunks and will lead to unpleasant odour.

Pets are domesticated animals, and they rightfully belong to nature. Man is disrupting nature’s cycle by not allowing pets to roam free in nature. Even though we can be seen as protecting nature by not allowing pets to pollute the Evolution Garden, however, there would be no need to protect the plants if Man did not put those granite boulders and fossilised tree trunks there in the first place. Man is selfish, and we prevent pets from coming into the garden so that we can enjoy it by ourselves. The fact that our pets live in our houses and that we keep potted plants in our house shows that we want to bring back that connection with nature, however when we do that, we are reforming nature, and confining it to our urban society.



This picture shows a shadow of a person cast over a dirty pond.

The shadow represents darkness and death, and because it is a shadow of a person it represents Man bringing destruction onto nature. The dirty pond is an effect of Man’s pollution, a sure sign that Man has already started on destroying the environment. However, a shadow is only the absence of light, it is temporary, and it will disappear once light is shined upon it. On the other hand, the pond will be there longer than the shadow. Hence, Man will only temporarily gain control over nature, and ultimately nature will still be the one that is in control of mankind. In urban society today, Man only sees nature as a form of resource and exploitation. Even if we try to conserve resources, our technology is developing at such a fast pace that we end up using more from nature. Nature is now getting back at us for our endless destruction, through global warming and the hole in the ozone layer. The endless pollution and exploitation will never stop, because Man has already become too reliant on nature.