Pictures Unit 4

LItter shown on a trail in Cherokee Park.

An aluminum can last 200 - 400 years in the ground before it disintegrates.

Simple small wooden signs would provide visual propaganda suggesting that they pick up their own trash.

Litter in Cherokee Park: The Need for Change

Everyday more and more Americans are visiting national parks rediscovering outdoor pursuits that are remarkably valuable to them. In 2004, nearly 277 million recreational visits were recorded by the United States national park system (Haney, 2006). The number of citizens visiting national parks continues to grow every year along with the increase in litter found in the park. The 2005 National Public Lands Day activities report states that 90,000 volunteers removed approximately 380,000 pounds of trash from 800 national parks, wildlife refuges, forests, and waterways sites throughout the nation (NEETF, 2005), an increase of trash from the 285,000 pounds collected throughout 600 national sites in 2004 (NEETF, 2004). These statistics urge Americans to find a call to action to decrease the amount of litter found in national parks each year. A very realistic and effective idea that needs to be implemented is the ‘pack it in, pack it out’ theory, which states visitors must leave the park with whatever trash they entered with. Promoting environmental thinking by having visitors of parks take responsibility for their own trash is a good idea despite the fact that pet and baby waste are often left in the park. Decreasing the amount of litter in parks is essential to the health and well-being of wildlife that call the park home. Litter also obstructs the natural elegance and beauty that park’s visitors often come to enjoy. In this paper I will discuss how implementing a ‘pack it in, pack it out’ theory  in Cherokee Park will decrease the amount of litter in the park and benefit the park’s wildlife well-being as well as increasing the number of visitors to the park.

The qualities of Cherokee Park I hold close to my heart are not uncommon to other park lovers. The same qualities were what Frederick Law Olmsted founded Cherokee Park upon over one-hundred and twenty years ago. Olmsted’s thoughts were made apparent in his creations. The Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Inc. shared his views of Cherokee Park stating that, “For a balanced life, Olmsted realized, people need contact with nature. The parks would provide that, green oases that would relieve the stresses that came with close living conditions, poor air quality, lack of peace and solitude. (Frederick Law Olmsted)” This realization has strong integrity when one may find themselves visiting or exploring Cherokee Park. Even a hundred years ago people saw the importance of nature and its diverse offerings in their lives.

The Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Inc. notices this needed respect and acts upon it. They continue to help maintain Cherokee Park and its trails with volunteer work as well as ideas for the future. One of their proposals is a one-mile paved circuit. This proposal, similar to a dirt trail in visual surrounding, would give more room for visitors to indulge in the parks true beauty. The proposal states that “The one-mile paved circuit will offer visitor wayside shelters, rustic footbridges over Beargrass Creek, connections to bridle and other trails and signage telling the story of the park.” Citizens as well as tourists who have not had the opportunity to experience the park’s offerings will have one more area than before calling their name. They would be able to see the elegance of Cherokee Park on a more accessible note. This work that is done voluntarily shows just how important nature is to the common person. If they are not able to escape into the backwoods and trails this circuit would allow them to see some of the parks story of a calming natural environment in a more modernized sense. With the help of passing along the word of ‘pack it in, pack it out’ these trails can remain litter free for all to enjoy.

Throughout all of my research I have read the same thoughts that already pierced my mind. Most litter is a result of the teenage generation. As Stephen Houghton suggested in his work, statistics in several studies throughout the world state that teenagers litter the most among other age groups. Although this is a much generalized piece of information it holds great authority in my paper.

                Teenagers do account for much of the litter that is found in Cherokee Park especially at Hogan’s Fountain as well as off in the backwoods of the park. I run on three different dirt trails in the woods at Cherokee Park at least one time a week.  I tend to run at sunset as it is much cooler than mid-day when the sun sits in the sky waiting to scorch any visible bodies. As darkness approaches the population of teenagers greatly outnumbers all other age groups that remain in the park. I discussed this information with the Louisville Olmsted Conservancy’s head of volunteering, Sarah Wolff, and she seemed to already know everything I was telling her. I often see groups of teens wondering off the dirt paths. Sarah enlightened me on the issues of vandalism and drug use that many of these teenagers are responsible for. The Olmsted Parks Conservancy has learned from Louisville Metro Police that many adolescents are found smoking drugs or drinking alcoholic beverages in the woods or on the playground near Hogan’s Fountain. This evidence supports the conclusion that many of these teenagers are responsible for the littering of cigarette boxes and alcoholic containers.

                All of this personal context from both Sarah Wolff and I offers proper insight into my next area of research. I investigated research on teenagers littering habits which most likely is the group that makes up the highest percentage of litter that is picked up in Cherokee Park. Steven Houghton understands that ‘litter is unsightly and annoying’ which motivated him to conduct research on the efficiency of verbal and visual prompts amongst high school students in the cafeteria environment (“Using Verbal Prompts”). Although this scholarly article does not deal with the environment of a park it still offers helpful insight to which means of marketing the ‘pack it in, pack it out’ theory is most effective, specifically for the genre that causes the most litter. Mr. Houghton discovered that a combination of both verbal and visual prompts results in the most significant decrease in litter. Without any prompt there was an average of 7.43 items littered per minute during the allotted time for students to eat lunch in the cafeteria. With visual and verbal prompts introduced the number of items littered per minute was significantly reduced to 2.3 items. This information enlightens one on a specific propaganda that has been proven successful for a teenage audience in the reduction of litter. Implying this method to reach park visitors may drastically impact the reduction of litter in Cherokee Park.

                Implementing the “pack it in, pack it out” theory when entering Cherokee Park will benefit the community and park visitors in many ways. In order to familiarize people who have not heard of this clean way of using parks, the motto needs to be advertised. To maximize the effectiveness of this slogan it is best that this is done through both visual and verbal propaganda as Houghton discovered in his studies. A cheap and efficient way of promoting visitors to pick up after themselves is to place signs near the most popular picnic areas and trail sites. This strategy is argued against by Steven Plappert. Plappert, an avid hiker, writes in his blog that posting unnecessary trail signs takes away from the nature of parks. Although he does not specifically discuss signs that would encourage visitors to pack out their own trash, he does state that “no form of advertisement should be placed on any tree (Plappert)”. However, a one-foot wooden sign is much less likely to obstruct a person’s view of nature than a cigarette butt nearby that may shatter a person’s mood. Also, that same wooden sign would replace many of the rusted bulky tin trash cans that do not fit in the environment in the first place. I do agree with Plappert in that unnecessary distractions should be kept out of nature’s eyes, however, a small sign with the words “pack it in, pack it out” will do a lot more good than it would harm for visitors.

                Another opposing argue is introduced by Don Tryon, who mentions in his editorial, “Leave-A-Trace”, that Americans need to face the ugly reality that expecting people to pick up their own trash is not going to happen. Tyron further argues that instead of wasting time and money on programs such as Leave No Trace who implement a ‘pack it in, pack it out’ mentality in outdoor recreational activities, we should look at more practical options that do work. Such options include the clever placement of trash receptacles throughout our parks. Although this is an effective idea that Tryon points out, we must recognize the high costs to upkeep each trash receptacle in our parks. This is especially relevant at this time when our economy is at its lowest it’s been in years and our government’s number one priority is most likely not our public parks.

                As mentioned above litter does not only affect human experiences with nature and the outdoors but it also affects the wildlife that lives within that environment. The Kamenny Kruh Stone Circle restates this crucial aspect of littering specifically in saying, “Litter can harm or kill wildlife. Plastic litter can choke or suffocate birds and marine life. Carelessly discarded containers can trap small mammals” (Cislo 9). This is just another reason that supports the proposal to have signs throughout Cherokee Park supporting the ‘pack it in, pack it out’ motto. Garbage cans have been around Cherokee Park since I can remember. Although these trash receptacles help with litter they do not put any type of stress on the individual visitor to pick their own trash. Implementing the ‘pack it in, pack it out’ motto would make individuals feel more responsible for their own actions in littering.

There are many stories that are shared through Cherokee Park and many stories that are yet to be created. My personal enjoyments as well as Sarah Wolff’s adventures in Cherokee Park as a teenager show only two perspectives of the elegance and vast array of activities the park holds. In order to keep Cherokee Park a vital resource for visitors far and near we must learn from the research that is presented to us and execute a plan of action that will help reduce litter within the park. As mentioned in the introduction, we do not want Cherokee Park to be a part of the 380,000 pounds of trash that was removed from parks by volunteers in 2005. We need to enforce this ‘pack it in, pack it out’ motto, placing signs on trailheads as well as throughout the park offering the visual propaganda that has been proven successful in Mr. Houghton’s studies. Successfully implementing the ‘pack it in, pack it out’ motto in Cherokee Park will help reduce the amount trash littered in the park and will better the well-being of the park’s wildlife as well as allowing its visitors to enjoy their experience in the utmost clean and natural environment. 

Work Cited:

Houghton, Stephen. "Using verbal and visual prompts to control littering in high schools." Educational Studies (03055698) 19.4 (1993): 247. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 1 Aug. 2011.

Ben Lawhon, et al. "Conviction of the Heart: Implementing Leave-No-Trace Principles in Outdoor Recreation." JOPERD: The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance 79.7 (2008): 29-34. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 2 Aug. 2011.

Pack it in, Pack it Out. United Four Wheel Drive Associations. N.D. N.P. July 28, 2011.  <http://www.ufwda.org/education/pack-it-in-pack-it-out/>

Tryon, Don. “Leave-A-Trace Page.” Purcell Trench Manufacturing Company. September 2007. N.P. July 29, 2011. < http://www.purcelltrench.com/leaveatrace.htm>

“Frederick Law Olmsted.” Frederick Law Olmsted Parks. N.D. N.P. June 29, 2011. <http://www.olmstedparks.org/about/frederick-law-olmsted/>

Pack it in pack it out sign. Pack it in pack it out. N.D. July 27,2011. <http://www.propertysigns.com/signs/pack-in-pack-out-trash-sign/sku-k-7834.aspx>

Brown, Byron. Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. The Buffalo Olmsted Park System: Plan for the 21st Century. “The Olmsted City.”  The Urban Design Project. N.D. July 26, 2011.

Implementing a Call to Action to Benefit Park Visitors

According to waste management researchers at Mount Field National Park, (location) (talk more about the previous litter and connect it to Louisville) (Make us care with my own voice) litter in the park has decreased by twenty percent in only one year. (cite) This decrease in litter is a result of the park discarding their trash receptacles and implementing a new call to action for visitors, ‘pack it in, pack it out’, which states visitors must leave the park with whatever trash they entered with. Promoting environmental thinking by having visitors of parks take responsibility for their own trash is a good idea despite the fact that pet and baby waste are often left in the park. Decreasing the amount of litter in parks is essential to the health and well-being of wildlife that call the park home. Litter also obstructs the natural elegance and beauty that park’s visitors often come to enjoy. In this paper I will discuss how implementing a ‘pack it in, pack it out’ theory in Cherokee Park will decrease the amount of litter in the park and benefit the park’s wildlife as well as visitors…

Thesis Statement and Citation

Thesis Statement:

In order for everyone to be able to enjoy the full offerings of Cherokee Park we must fight the litter that destructs the elegance of the park. In order to do so we should campaign a ‘pack it in, pack it out’ system of dealing with trash in order to promote environmental thinking for visitors and keep these visitors from littering in the park, taking away from the beauty of Cherokee Park for other guests.

Citations:

Ben Lawhon, et al. "Conviction of the Heart: Implementing Leave-No-Trace Principles in Outdoor Recreation." JOPERD: The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance 79.7 (2008): 29-34. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 22 July 2011.

Brown, Terry J., Sam H. Ham, and Michael Hughes. "Picking up litter: an application of theory-based communication to influence tourist behaviour in protected areas." Journal of Sustainable Tourism 18.7 (2010): 879-900. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 22 July 2011.

Daerr, Elizabeth G. "C&O Canal Has Trash-free Policy." National Parks 73.11/12 (1999): 14-15. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 22 July 2011.

"Seattle Parks Revisit Recycling Initiative." Parks & Recreation 41.10 (2006): 27. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 22 July 2011.

Blog Post

1. One way that he mixed academic and non-academic language that stood out most clearly to me was his quotes of 'hillbilly', 'hoods', and 'clean-cut'. I thought this was very effective because it tied in to what those genres of people are recognized as in society. They were relevant also to the audience the author was writing for. He also did a good job on defining the term 'hillbilly' if it were to be unclear or unheard of by his audience.
2. I thought a mediocre display of mixing the two languages could be seen when he takes the phrase, 'dig the intellectual bit' from Elvis and uses it in his text.  He did not really expand of what Elvis meant by that rather assuming the audience was to know. Well maybe my brain isn't on or something but I thought it was unclear. I think he could have kept the non-academic language and used it effectively. I think it wasn't effective though because he did not elaborate on what 'digging the intellectual bit' meant in context to his writing.

Unit 4 "ain't so/is not" exercise 2

 The toxicity of pollution from the city and immoral bandwagon stereotypes poison me. I ridden these burderns through each breathe I take on my trail and every bead of sweat that rolls off my face. My mind untangles itself from thoughts of the outside world. My skin begins to perspire as I fight the blinding rays of sun that find cracks between the flexing leaves in the olive canopy above. There is no real sense of time as I trek further and further. My body exhausts in the intense heat and strenuous trail I hike.Often I find a soft and inviting tree trunk to stop and rest upon. Sarah Wolff voiced the mutual relationship she also shares with the park through volunteering.  ....

                Not only is litter very harmful to the wildlife and environment in the park but it also takes away from the beauty and elegance of the park. Would you want to hike into the backwoods of a park finding beer bottles and cigarette packaging upon every other tree trunk? This litter often makes the park an ugly sight. The cleanliness of Cherokee Park will also relay a message of the community. A dirty and litter filled park will not portray the same message that a clean park will. Most importantly to me, the litter takes away from the natural aspect of the park. When I go to the park to escape the realities of our hectic society I do not want manufacture packaging sitting beside a tree reminding me of the city.

"As a Result" Q and A'

I rely a little too much on pointing terms I think. I need to be more careful when I am using them because some of my subjects get lost in the pronouns making the sentence a little confusing for the reader. If I reword or restate the subject in the sentence I can help clarify my meaning for the reader. I don't think I rely enough on transitioning words so to speak. I think that I do transcend somewhat okay from the previous paragraph or previous thoughts. I think that I need to use more of the words for transcending in my transitions. That will make the transition even more clear and smoother.

One of my paragraphs I start three sentences in a row with My. I definitely need to change this. One reason is because it is repetitive and does not have any variety to those three sentences in the paragraph. After reading the paragraph I realize it sounds bad. I need to move the words in the sentence around or look for another way of using 'my'.

It would hurt to 'repeat myself with a difference' a little bit more as well. If I can add some more variety of the way I transcend ideas and thoughts it will make my paper more effective. I can do this by using synonyms and antonyms of words that I need to repeat and also enhance details where needed.

Unit 3 "As a Result"

A Park to Remain Cherished

I find myself on a dirt path with not a soul near to me. The blue sky and scorching sun illuminate what lay before my eyes. Brown trees and earth accompany billowing clouds of green over my shoulders. Rocks of all shapes and sizes situate themselves as obstacles on the course I travel. The leaves ruffle against each other as the wind bends the thin tree trunks and smacks branches against one another. Squirrels pounce from place to place shuffling the twigs and leaves they pounce upon. You can hear the constant stream of water as it flows over rocks and logs in the background. All else is of no importance at this time.

I am too caught up in the highly technical lifestyles we live today to go without a release from time to time. Some days I am just as well off standing in the heart of Times Square. Taxi drivers blast their horns at every chance. People impatiently shove their way through a crowded street. Lights and visual propaganda piled high at every corner. Sometimes that highly stressful environment is raging in between my ears. Thus I always find myself running back to the peaceful trails of Cherokee Park. I am not alone in having a close relationship with the park. Volunteer recruiter for the Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Sarah Wolff, shares much of the same respect I have for the nature that is present in Cherokee Park.

The Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy came about in 1989 when the parks created by Frederick Olmsted needed to be restored after harsh weather and wear and tear over the years. The parks did not receive any needed attention for scheduled upkeep. The Conservancy brings forth the much needed attention and support to further enhance Cherokee Park among the other Olmsted parks. Sarah Wolff explained that she found her current job at the Conservancy because it struck so close to home. She exclaimed that, “I always loved playing with my family in friends here growing up. Now I am able to help enhance the park as a valuable resource for all of my community as well as visitors.” Sarah grew up on Valetta Road in the highlands of Louisville. She has many memories of visiting the park as a child and teenager. Many of those memories are inspiration for the community service and volunteer work that she leads. Sarah wants visitors to share the same smile she had on her face that she did when she ran through the fields near the pavilion at Hogan’s Fountain.

Through all of Sarah Wolff’s memories that she discussed she stated specifically the correlation that Cherokee Park had with nature. Sarah dug into her past and shared, “I remember lying in the field by the pavilion at Hogan’s Fountain. I laid on the freshly mowed grass and stared at the clouds that floated above.”  I could definitely relate to her memories. The elegance of nature never seizes to amaze. I was able to relate to Sarah’s experience as a child. The perfect arrangement of trees and earth’s creations that accompany the trail I hike in Cherokee Park is always present. The trees and friendly noises from the local animals and natural sounds are always there. They let me use their elegance to cleanse my mind without asking anything of me. When I am here I have the ability to let my mind run wild and pursue any thought that comes to me. I am at peace with myself as well as my surroundings because of the relaxation and peace I am able to experience because of nature’s elegance.

The qualities of Cherokee Park that Sarah and I hold close to our heart are not uncommon to other park lovers. The same qualities were what Frederick Law Olmsted founded Cherokee Park upon over one-hundred and twenty years ago. Olmsted’s thoughts were made apparent in his creations. The Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Inc shared his views of Cherokee Park stating that, “For a balanced life, Olmsted realized, people need contact with nature. The parks would provide that, green oases that would relieve the stresses that came with close living conditions, poor air quality, lack of peace and solitude.” This realization has strong integrity when one may find themselves visiting or exploring Cherokee Park. Even a hundred years ago people saw the importance of nature and its diverse offerings in their lives.

I would reflect upon the same thoughts that pierced the great mind of Frederick Olmsted as I would stride further through every bend and curve on the trail. I lost myself more and more to the nature that engulfed me. My body purifies in many ways along the journey. The toxicity of pollution from the city and immoral bandwagon stereotypes poison me. I release these negative thoughts through each breathe I take on my trail and every bead of sweat that rolls off my face. My mind untangles itself from thoughts of the outside world. My skin begins to perspire as I fight the blinding rays of sun that find cracks between the flexing leaves in the olive canopy above. There is no real sense of time as I trek further and further. My body exhausts in the intense heat and strenuous trail I hike. Often I find a soft and inviting tree trunk to stop and rest upon. Sarah Wolff voiced the mutual relationship she also shares with the park through volunteering.

                “I pick up old beer cans, fast food bags, cigarette packaging, and other filthy litter. I love it!” Sarah smirked as she expressed her sincere love for volunteering. Not only does she organize volunteering programs for Cherokee Park, she also volunteers herself. One of the main efforts of volunteer work that she faces is the litter among the park. She told me that she will walk along the scenic loop or even get into the backwoods and trails to collect the litter that immature teens and adults leave. However as she searches the park for hours as a time by herself or with others she is able to release any built up stress or anxiety into her surroundings. “I don’t mind picking up trash when I have such a beautiful environment around me,” exclaimed Sarah. She went on to tell me that being outdoors and allowing her body to breath and sweat is somewhat of a renewing process for her body.

I can understand Sarah’s feelings. When I sit on the earth resting against a tree’s body I gaze at the still life that presents itself before me. Each visit to Cherokee Park allows me to leave with a new image in my mind. When I am at work or in school and need a temporary pleasant thought I can reflect upon these graceful views of woodlands. These images help alleviate my mind of stress or anxiety when there is too much chaos going on. I also envision the people of this community one-hundred years ago. They sat in the park as well and let their eyes gaze at the beautiful trees and surroundings. They as well as I had a source of peace and tranquility. This same peaceful location and trails I traverse are fuel for my body. Not only does it cleanse by body at the site but it offers a visual that is able to relax my thoughts in times of need. The prominence of our simple and precious earth that can be witnessed as a dirt trail with surrounding colorful trees, rocks, diverse wildlife, and harmonizing water deserves much appraisal and respect.

The Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Inc notices this needed respect and acts upon it. They continue to help maintain Cherokee Park and its trails not only with volunteering but also ideas for its future. One of their proposals is a one-mile paved circuit. This proposal, similar to a dirt trail in visual surrounding, would give more room for visitors to indulge in the parks true beauty. The proposal states that “The one-mile paved circuit will offer visitor wayside shelters, rustic footbridges over Beargrass Creek, connections to bridle and other trails and signage telling the story of the park.” Citizens as well as tourists who have not had the opportunity to experience the park’s offerings will have one more area than before calling their name. They would be able to see the elegance of Cherokee Park on a more accessible note. I engaged this proposition in conversation during my interview with Mrs. Wolff. After some discussion with Sarah she stated that, “Anytime we can add or enhance something in the park is a win for everyone.” If visitors are not able to escape into the backwoods’ trails this circuit would allow them to see some of the parks story of a calming natural environment in a more modernized sense. This is a generous proposition and should be greatly treasured because it allows a more diverse crowd to come and enjoy the soothing effects of nature.

Sarah and I have both expressed the greatness that nature has to offer us through the eyes of a park. This connection with nature is something that anyone should be able to have. Our community or visitors from far and near need to be able to visit a park that will provide nature to help calm their busy lives. Without parks the nature they entail we may lose our minds to the fast paced world we live in.  However, as I mentioned above there is volunteering that is necessary to keep the park clean and restored so people are able to benefit from it. Unwanted mistreatment of the park can be found at various places throughout Cherokee Park. Sarah told me that there is vandalism and graffiti more often than not. There is also the problem of littering. Sarah expressed her true concern in exclaiming that, “No matter how much litter is collected through volunteering efforts, it always seems to make its way back into the park.” This statement coming from the head of volunteering efforts with a Conservancy that deals strictly with Olmsted Parks tells us just how significant the situation at hand is.

Not only is litter very harmful to the wildlife and environment in the park but it also takes away from the beauty and elegance of the park. Would you want to hike into the backwoods of a park finding beer bottles and cigarette packaging upon every other tree trunk? This litter makes the park less attractive to visitors. The cleanliness of Cherokee Park will also relay a message of the community. A dirty and litter filled park will not portray the same message that a clean park will. Most importantly to me, the litter takes away from the natural aspect of the park. When I go to the park to escape the realities of our high strung industrialized society I do not want manufacture packaging sitting beside a tree reminding me of the city.

In order to maintain a clean park, we must find answers to the issue of littering. We may need to add more trash receptacles or stricken laws on littering in the park. Whatever the answer may be, something must be done to keep Cherokee Park free from litter. If that is done than every visitor will be able to cherish the beauty and elegance that Cherokee Park has to offer. 

Consent Form

Consent Form

Unit 3

A Park to Remain Cherished
I find myself on a dirt path with not a soul near to me. The blue sky and scorching sun illuminate what lay before my eyes. Brown trees and earth accompany billowing clouds of green over my shoulders. Rocks of all shapes and sizes situate themselves as obstacles on the course I travel. The leaves ruffle against each other as the wind bends the thin tree trunks and smacks branches against one another. Squirrels pounce from place to place shuffling the twigs and leaves they pounce upon. You can hear the constant stream of water as it flows over rocks and logs in the background. All else is of no importance at this time.
I am too caught up in the highly technical lifestyles we live today to go without a release from time to time. Some days I am just as well off standing in the heart of Times Square. Taxi drivers blast their horns at every chance. People impatiently shove their way through a crowded street. Lights and visual propaganda piled high at every corner. Sometimes that highly stressful environment is raging in between my ears. Thus I always find myself running back to the peaceful trails of Cherokee Park. I am not alone in having a close relationship with the park. Volunteer recruiter for the Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Sarah Wolff, shares much of the same respect I have for the nature that is present in Cherokee Park.
The Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy came about in 1989 when the parks created by Frederick Olmsted needed to be restored after harsh weather and wear and tear over the years. The parks did not receive any needed attention for scheduled upkeep. The Conservancy brings forth the much needed attention and support to further enhance Cherokee Park among the other Olmsted parks. Sarah Wolff explained that she found her current job at the Conservancy because it struck so close to home. She exclaimed that, “I always loved playing with my family in friends here growing up. Now I am able to help enhance the park as a valuable resource for all of my community as well as visitors.” Sarah grew up on Valetta Road in the highlands of Louisville. She has many memories of visiting the park as a child and teenager. Many of those memories are inspiration for the community service and volunteer work that she leads. Sarah wants visitors to share the same smile she had on her face that she did when she ran through the fields near the pavilion at Hogan’s Fountain.
Through all of Sarah Wolff’s memories that she discussed she stated specifically the correlation that Cherokee Park had with nature. Sarah dug into her past and shared, “I remember lying in the field by the pavilion at Hogan’s Fountain. I laid on the freshly mowed grass and stared at the clouds that floated above.” I could definitely relate to her memories. The elegance of nature never seizes to amaze. I was able to relate to Sarah’s experience as a child. The perfect arrangement of trees and earth’s creations that accompany the trail I hike in Cherokee Park is always present. The trees and friendly noises from the local animals and natural sounds are always there. They let me use their elegance to cleanse my mind without asking anything of me. When I am here I have the ability to let my mind run wild and pursue any thought that comes to me. I am at peace with myself as well as my surroundings because of the relaxation and peace I am able to experience because of nature’s elegance.
The qualities of Cherokee Park that Sarah and I hold close to our heart are not uncommon to other park lovers. The same qualities were what Frederick Law Olmsted founded Cherokee Park upon over one-hundred and twenty years ago. Olmsted’s thoughts were made apparent in his creations. The Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Inc shared his views of Cherokee Park stating that, “For a balanced life, Olmsted realized, people need contact with nature. The parks would provide that, green oases that would relieve the stresses that came with close living conditions, poor air quality, lack of peace and solitude.” This realization has strong integrity when one may find themselves visiting or exploring Cherokee Park. Even a hundred years ago people saw the importance of nature and its diverse offerings in their lives.
I would reflect upon the same thoughts that pierced the great mind of Frederick Olmsted as I would stride further through every bend and curve on the trail. I lost myself more and more to the nature that engulfed me. My body purifies in many ways along the journey. The toxicity of pollution from the city and immoral bandwagon stereotypes poison me. I release these negative thoughts through each breathe I take on my trail and every bead of sweat that rolls off my face. My mind untangles itself from thoughts of the outside world. My skin begins to perspire as I fight the blinding rays of sun that find cracks between the flexing leaves in the olive canopy above. There is no real sense of time as I trek further and further. My body exhausts in the intense heat and strenuous trail I hike. Often I find a soft and inviting tree trunk to stop and rest upon. Sarah Wolff voiced the mutual relationship she also shares with the park through volunteering.
“I pick up old beer cans, fast food bags, cigarette packaging, and other filthy litter. I love it!” Sarah smirked as she expressed her sincere love for volunteering. Not only does she organize volunteering programs for Cherokee Park, she also volunteers herself. One of the main efforts of volunteer work that she faces is the litter among the park. She told me that she will walk along the scenic loop or even get into the backwoods and trails to collect the litter that immature teens and adults leave. However as she searches the park for hours as a time by herself or with others she is able to release any built up stress or anxiety into her surroundings. “I don’t mind picking up trash when I have such a beautiful environment around me,” exclaimed Sarah. She went on to tell me that being outdoors and allowing her body to breath and sweat is somewhat of a renewing process for her body.
I can understand Sarah’s feelings. When I sit on the earth resting against a tree’s body I gaze at the still life that presents itself before me. Each visit to Cherokee Park allows me to leave with a new image in my mind. When I am at work or in school and need a temporary pleasant thought I can reflect upon these graceful views of woodlands. These images help alleviate my mind of stress or anxiety when there is too much chaos going on. I also envision the people of this community one-hundred years ago. They sat in the park as well and let their eyes gaze at the beautiful trees and surroundings. They as well as I had a source of peace and tranquility. This same peaceful location and trails I traverse are fuel for my body. Not only does it cleanse by body at the site but it offers a visual that is able to relax my thoughts in times of need. The prominence of our simple and precious earth that can be witnessed as a dirt trail with surrounding colorful trees, rocks, diverse wildlife, and harmonizing water deserves much appraisal and respect.
The Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Inc notices this needed respect and acts upon it. They continue to help maintain Cherokee Park and its trails not only with volunteering but also ideas for its future. One of their proposals is a one-mile paved circuit. This proposal, similar to a dirt trail in visual surrounding, would give more room for visitors to indulge in the parks true beauty. The proposal states that “The one-mile paved circuit will offer visitor wayside shelters, rustic footbridges over Beargrass Creek, connections to bridle and other trails and signage telling the story of the park.” Citizens as well as tourists who have not had the opportunity to experience the park’s offerings will have one more area than before calling their name. They would be able to see the elegance of Cherokee Park on a more accessible note. I engaged this proposition in conversation during my interview with Mrs. Wolff. After some discussion with Sarah she stated that, “Anytime we can add or enhance something in the park is a win for everyone.” If visitors are not able to escape into the backwoods’ trails this circuit would allow them to see some of the parks story of a calming natural environment in a more modernized sense. This is a generous proposition and should be greatly treasured because it allows a more diverse crowd to come and enjoy the soothing effects of nature.
Sarah and I have both expressed the greatness that nature has to offer us through the eyes of a park. This connection with nature is something that anyone should be able to have. Our community or visitors from far and near need to be able to visit a park that will provide nature to help calm their busy lives. Without parks the nature they entail we may lose our minds to the fast paced world we live in. However, as I mentioned above there is volunteering that is necessary to keep the park clean and restored so people are able to benefit from it. Unwanted mistreatment of the park can be found at various places throughout Cherokee Park. Sarah told me that there is vandalism and graffiti more often than not. There is also the problem of littering. Sarah expressed her true concern in exclaiming that, “No matter how much litter is collected through volunteering efforts, it always seems to make its way back into the park.” This statement coming from the head of volunteering efforts with a Conservancy that deals strictly with Olmsted Parks tells us just how significant the situation at hand is.
Not only is litter very harmful to the wildlife and environment in the park but it also takes away from the beauty and elegance of the park. Would you want to hike into the backwoods of a park finding beer bottles and cigarette packaging upon every other tree trunk? This litter makes the park less attractive to visitors. The cleanliness of Cherokee Park will also relay a message of the community. A dirty and litter filled park will not portray the same message that a clean park will. Most importantly to me, the litter takes away from the natural aspect of the park. When I go to the park to escape the realities of our high strung industrialized society I do not want manufacture packaging sitting beside a tree reminding me of the city.
In order to maintain a clean park, we must find answers to the issue of littering. We may need to add more trash receptacles or stricken laws on littering in the park. Whatever the answer may be, something must be done to keep Cherokee Park free from litter. If that is done than every visitor will be able to cherish the beauty and elegance that Cherokee Park has to offer.

6/29 Post

I want to reach out to park visitors, the community of the Highlands, friends and family
My audience’s background is important, mainly their life experiences. Both my mom and dad grew up around the Highlands and went to many parks when they were younger. My friends also enjoy going to parks to hang out as I do. Everyone in my life has some sort of connection to a park. The community of the Highlands is a very active community in my eyes. I work in the Highlands and see many people out exercising on the sidewalks. My paper would potentially affect their exercising because they might have been unaware of the trails in Cherokee Park or else just need another reminder to get them out there. Park visitors are already visiting parks and they would most likely be interested in my writing.
They care about environment and the outdoors. Environment is important along with nature. If I am going to be writing about cleaning up liter along trails, they will draw interest to this. They like walking in parks or trying new things. Whether they have never been on a trail in Cherokee park or have before my writing will explain both its beauty and importance in society. It will tie this in with the proposal of raising awareness of the liter that is found alongside these trails. My audience uses the park so they should find an interest.
My writing is for anyone that is able to get outside.
My piece is a pretty laid back issue as far as politics. My family and friends will appreciate the issue I discuss. A harder crowd may be found in the community of the highlands. However, most of the people in the highlands that I know personally are very friendly and care about their community greatly. They seem to like a clean environment judging by the neighborhoods they live in. In my opinion they will have an easy time reading and caring for the words that I want to share.

HW Post

Audience and genre are both crucial pieces that make up a paper. Your audience is who will be critiquing or evaluating you. The genre will either help or damage your audiences thoughts and opinions of your work. Our blackboard reading discusses the importance of the correlation by stating, "...even your choice of genre(memo,essay,email,note,speech)-are all influenced by
the audience you envision.(Page 5)" The audience that you are going to write to will need a specific genre of writing that will meet their needs for the particular paper they are reading. Determining what response you want the audience to have or simply what message you need to get across to the audience will help in determining a specific genre. An example of this connection is as follows. If I am writing to an unknown audience on an academic level, I will want to write in a formal manor to professional express my discoveries or positions. That way my audience will see more credibility in my work when they are reading my paper.

HW Reading Post "Church"

I think Church does a good job in stating why her audience cares. I would disagree if she left her topic in a broad sense, however, she narrows it down to the topic of the impact biodiversity has on medicine. Church explains that, "If we keep destroying the earth's biodiversity at the current rate, we may lose any opportunities to develop medicines we may need to survive. (Pg 16)" This statement narrows down her topic of the loss of biodiversity to the effect it will have on human medication. This will answer the questions that the audience has. They have a reason to care because the topic she narrows down has a direct correlation to medicine that could effect the audience's health. The audience now has a reason to care and be concerned with what Church is stating in her essay. Another good passage from Church's text is where she specifically talks about losing the tree that helps produce medicine to help fight breast cancer. This may draw on an audience member who has family or friends who has had this very common cancer. Thus they will care what Church has to say because it relates to them.

HW Post

Many people in our community as well as families and people who visit parks or enjoy the outdoors will care about my topic. I am discussing modern day importance of Cherokee Parks in a broader sense. I am going to argue for the proposal of better upkeep or for new trails to be established in Cherokee Park. It will effect people who already visit the park. It will also draw interests to people who would like to experience the nature that a trail in Cherokee Park has to offer. The park may draw more visitors because of this. My audience would not be limited to people who already attend parks. It could also include people who have wanted to go on a trail in a park but have not. New trails or better upkeep may be the last step that draws them in and makes them visit. The community near Cherokee Park (the Highlands) would be effected if the park were to see a significant increase in visitors.

HW Post

Holson conducted her research through interviews with people in the community where the movie was filmed. All of her research directed from the town festival that celebrated the film of Napolean Dynamite. The angle of her questions to the interviewees in my opinion was to express the small town atmosphere that the film was shot at. These no name people are now receiving publicity because of the success of the film. She correlates this evidence with other towns where films have been shot and expressing that the same effect occurred. The town has seen many tourist stopping by and wanting to get autographs from the actors who weren't even paid for their contribution. She talked to these locals because they were in the film. The dialogue expressed how they were small town people and total opposite of a movie star.

Many of the options seem to fit the angle of this piece in some sort of way. The one I find most appropriate would be B: to "Present the experiences and/or perspective of the individual". I say this because the interviews with people the author has seem to get out of them their perspective and experience on being in a movie. She includes text that supports that they think they are merely just small town people who have no intentions to star in a movie. Then they share their experiences of giving autographs and such to tourists. This shares their experience with Holson which she includes in her piece.

HW Post

1. What do you want to find out?
2. What is the primary goal of this oral history?

1. I want to find out the problems that Cherokee Park faces in maintaining its true values that it was built on.
2. My primary goal of this oral history is to find out more information on reasons Cherokee Park exists and problems that threaten it.

Reworded Questions:
1. What kind of emotions do you receive from spending time working in the park and exploring all that it has to offer?
2. What have you learned from visitors in the park that have called or talked to you?
3. What kind of efforts show that this park will be here in 100 years and why do you think that is?

Three People

Mimi Zinniel is the CEO of Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy. He has great knowledge of Cherokee Park and its history as well as other people who would be able to help me with an oral history. I tried to find information on his background but there is not much on the internet.
Sarah Wolff is a volunteer and Parks Activity Leader for Cherokee Park. She would have a lot of information on the littering and volunteer work for other issues in the park. She has been a volunteer leader for many years and loves the park and what they have to offer. Online says that she thinks our parks are an important park of our community and future.
A third person I might try if all else fails would be a member of the Metro Parks Committee. I am not sure in particular which person I would speak to without calling and asking a few questions first. I think one of the first two people I have listed would be a great resource or pass me along to a better resource.

Problems in Cherokee Park

There are many things that catch the eye when I am in Cherokee park. Whether it be running on a trail or walking from my car, there are often things that catch my attention. The first thing that I recognize seldom is vandalism on the bathroom walls in the area. That is not so much specific to the trails I use though. When I am on the trails I see litter. It takes away from the beauty of the wooded lands. There are also paths that have been made by people straying off the made paths. These are most likely to common hang out spots by teenagers. These off course trails harm the woods and animals who settle there.

A Founding Virtue Still Appreciated

I find myself on a dirt path with not a soul near to me. The blue sky and scorching sun illuminate what lay before my eyes. Brown trees and earth accompany billowing clouds of green over my shoulders. Rocks of all shapes and sizes situate themselves as obstacles on the course I travel. The leaves ruffle against each other as the wind bends the thin tree trunks and smacks branches against one another. Squirrels pounce from place to place shuffling the twigs and leaves they pounce upon. You can hear the constant stream of water as it flows over rocks and logs in the background. All else is of no importance at this time.
I am too caught up in the highly technical lifestyles we live today to go without a release from time to time. Some days I am just as well off standing in the heart of Times Square. Taxi drivers blast their horns at every chance. People impatiently shove their way through a crowded street. Lights and visual propaganda piled high at every corner. Sometimes that highly stressful environment is raging in between my ears. Thus I always find myself running back to the peaceful trails of Cherokee Park.
There are good days and bad. Things change over time. What always remains the same in my eyes is nature. Its elegance never seizes to amaze me. The perfect arrangement of trees and earth’s creations that accompany my path is always present. The trees and friendly noises from the local animals and natural sounds are always there. They let me use their elegance to cleanse my mind without asking anything of me. They are history. There are so many thoughts you could ponder while in the presence of such a precious yet simple environment. Who once lived here before? Who appreciated this environment before I had the privilege? I find that my mind runs off on many different tangents while in the presence of this great atmosphere. When I am here I have the ability to let my mind run wild and pursue any thought that comes to me. I am at peace with myself as well as my surroundings because of the relaxation and peace I am able to experience because of nature’s elegance.
The qualities of Cherokee Park I hold close to my heart are not uncommon to other park lovers. The same qualities were what Frederick Law Olmsted founded Cherokee Park upon over one-hundred and twenty years ago. Olmsted’s thoughts were made apparent in his creations. The Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Inc shared his views of Cherokee Park stating that, “For a balanced life, Olmsted realized, people need contact with nature. The parks would provide that, green oases that would relieve the stresses that came with close living conditions, poor air quality, lack of peace and solitude.” This realization has strong integrity when one may find themselves visiting or exploring Cherokee Park. Even a hundred years ago people saw the importance of nature and its diverse offerings in their lives.
I reflect upon the same thoughts that pierced the great mind of Frederick Olmsted as I stride further through every bend and curve on the trail. I lose myself more and more to the nature that engulfs me. My body purifies in many ways along the journey. The toxicity of pollution from the city and immoral bandwagon stereotypes poison me. I release these negative thoughts through each breathe I take on my trail and every bead of sweat that rolls off my face. My mind untangles itself from thoughts of the outside world. My skin begins to perspire as I fight the blinding rays of sun that find cracks between the flexing leaves in the olive canopy above. There is no real sense of time as I trek further and further. My body exhausts in the intense heat and strenuous trail I hike. Often I find a soft and inviting tree trunk to stop and rest upon.
As I sit on the earth resting against a tree’s body I gaze at the still life that presents itself before me. Each visit to Cherokee Park allows me to leave with a new image in my mind. When I am at work or in school and need a temporary pleasant thought I can reflect upon these graceful views of woodlands. These images help alleviate my mind of stress or anxiety when there is too much chaos going on. I also envision the people of this community one-hundred years ago. They sat in the park as well and let their eyes gaze at the beautiful trees and surroundings. They as well as I had a source of peace and tranquility. This same peaceful location and trails I traverse are fuel for my body. Not only does it cleanse by body at the site but it offers a visual that is able to relax my thoughts in times of need. The prominence of our simple and precious earth that can be witnessed as a dirt trail with surrounding colorful trees, rocks, diverse wildlife, and harmonizing water deserves much appraisal and respect.
The Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Inc notices this needed respect and acts upon it. They continue to help maintain Cherokee Park and its trails with volunteer work as well as ideas for the future. One of their proposals is a one-mile paved circuit. This proposal, similar to a dirt trail in visual surrounding, would give more room for visitors to indulge in the parks true beauty. The proposal states that “The one-mile paved circuit will offer visitor wayside shelters, rustic footbridges over Beargrass Creek, connections to bridle and other trails and signage telling the story of the park.” Citizens as well as tourists who have not had the opportunity to experience the park’s offerings will have one more area than before calling their name. They would be able to see the elegance of Cherokee Park on a more accessible note. If they are not able to escape into the backwoods and trails this circuit would allow them to see some of the parks story of a calming natural environment in a more modernized sense. This is generous and should be greatly appreciated because it allows a more diverse crowd to come and enjoy the calming effects of nature.
It is a very humble experience when I allow my mind to escape into the trail and history. When I wind down I am able to see beyond the trees and nature in front of me. I see a vast number of years and history before my eyes. How did the park get the name Cherokee Park? Who once lived on the land that I walk along? There is so much to learn about something that interests me as well as others so much. As I leave the trail and head back to our highly industrialized and high strung society I see others who are running from their outside life as I had moments earlier. They begin to make their way into the woods to unwind and let their mind run wild with the squirrels scattering up and down trees. I see the positive moods and smiles on their faces as they nod passing by. It amazes me to think of the men and women that shared similar emotions as me over a century ago. No matter how old the park gets it will always allow one to use it for the same reasons Frederick Olmsted created it on.
After I enter back into my reality and the real world I immediately think of the refreshing experience I just encountered. Shortly after I am back in traffic and cursing the headaches I acquire from it. I enter back into the world of urgency and highly stressful situations at every corner. Perhaps one hundred years ago men and women experienced the same situations in their time and were saddened to be leaving their escape. I reflect on the history of park visitors such as myself as my black car sucks the sun into its windows boiling my skin as I sit. The rush is on to get home as I need to be at work in nearly an hour. However, I had never left the dirt underneath my feet. I am still sitting with the perspiration gluing my lower back to the oak tree I rest on. I am back listening to the squirrels scrambling through brush and the wind howling through the trees. The elegance of the trail I had just observed was still fresh in my mind helping me cope with the difficult realities I face once again.

Works Cited
Bridge in Cherokee Park. Bridge in Cherokee Park. Louisville, Ky. 1905.

Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Inc. “Renewing Cherokee Park.” Louisvilleky.gov. Web. June 1994.

The Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Inc writes about a master plan that will enhance and protect Cherokee Park as well as other Olmstead Parks in Louisville. They are concerned with the well being of the Olmstead Parks. They discuss fixing some things in Cherokee Park that were torn away by a tragic tornado in 1974. The Conservancy reflects upon the words of the Parks designer, Frederic Law Olmstead in the introduction of their proposal.
The Conservancy discussed many ideas to improve Cherokee Park. All of these actions are performed for a combined personal satisfaction as well as living to the words of Frederick Law Olmstead. Cherokee Park to him was a beautiful celebration of Kentucky’s ‘bluegrass country’. The Conservancy wants to maintain Cherokee Park so it can be celebrated for many years to come. One of the proposals that the Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy declares is as follows; “The one-mile paved circuit will offer visitor wayside shelters, rustic footbridges over Beargrass Creek, connections to bridle and other trails and signage telling the story of the park.” This new circuit will continue to support the celebration of Cherokee Park. The trails and environment in the park are the heart of the parks purpose. They show its true beauty to the many people that visit the park each year.
The upkeep and new ideas for Cherokee Park support the beauty and elegance that needs to be seen in Cherokee Park. Even after one-hundred years people are still trying to keep the park true to its original offerings of simple nature and its elegance. Will people still want to maintain the park in years to come or will our society try to replace the park with new apartment complexes or will the founding qualities of Cherokee Park keep the park alive? These issues show the importance of the Park to our community and tell of what Cherokee Park has to offer society.

“Further Information: History of Louisville’s Park.” Olmstedparks.org. n.d. Web.

Cherokee Park’s trails and relaxed environment are not recent developments. The park was designed nearly one-hundred and twenty years ago by Frederick Law Olmsted. He had designed Central Park in New York City as well as the United States Capital Grounds. He was highly qualified for the designing of Cherokee Park. Olmsted was said to have strong social values that he incorporated into his park’s architecture. This information was obtained and written by the Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Inc. They are a non-profit organization that is in place to help preserve and better the Frederick Law Olmsted parks in Louisville.
According to the Conservancy, Mr. Olmsted was said to have strong social values which he integrated into his parks through architecture and design. Cherokee Park thus has a calming and relaxing environment for people to escape to. The Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy discussed their views of Olmsted’s architectural style in connection to his high social values. They claim that “For a balanced life, Olmsted realized, people need contact with nature. The parks would provide that, green oases that would relieve the stresses that came with close living conditions, poor air quality, lack of peace and solitude.” The view that a balanced life needs contact with nature supports the ideologies of the Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy. They enhance and protect our beautiful parks because they agree that parks offer beneficial factors to our community.
This source of Frederick Law Olmsted’s motivations in park architecture supports the same feelings I have with Cherokee Park’s trails. People need a break from our highly stressful society we live in today. This begins an important discussion as to the underlying motivation for parks in general. On a more specific note, is Cherokee Park and its trails maintained by our government and community for the same reasons that it was founded on a hundred years ago? The Louisville Olmsted Conservancy seems to be a great source of information in researching Cherokee Park. They must also have educated members in the field that can help in further research and questions that arise from the early ideas that created Cherokee Park.

Integrating +

I plan to integrate the information I have obtained throughout my piece to make the paper stronger. Specifically, I am going to integrate into my introduction to give a background to the reader so they are familiar with the environment I am writing about. I will also use others information to help convey my emotions to my place. It will be important to really connect my sources to my text because some of the ideas do not relate hand in hand.

Homework Post

Towards the end of the essay Staple's quotes Podhoretz's words, "special brand of paranoid touchiness". Staples integrates this quotation as a detail to support his claim of rage he has. Staples is throwing this quotation from Podhoretz to have a second supporting opinion to his case that he is telling. Staples tells of the difficult perceptions he receives as a black man and the paranoia he has being black. Adding this second party text gives more evidence to his feelings and emotions that he explains in the paper. The specific words he chooses from Podhoretz's text are direct to the emotions he wanted portrayed. Staples connects the text with a sentence telling who the other author is speaking then connecting it to his own personal experience. I thought that Staple's did a good job involving the text in the paragraph it was in. He tied it in to his own personal experience. However, I had to reread the paragraph a few times to grasp the true meaning of Podhoretz's words. I would suggest he throw another sentence or two describing in more detail what that "special brand of paranoid touchiness" means.

Unit 2 Brainstorming

There are a ton of cool statues and monuments in Cherokee Park to pick from to research. Right now I am leaning towards the statue of Pan otherwise known as Hogan's Fountain. This is one of my favorite things to run by while on the scenic loop and everyone passes it upon entering the park at the Eastern Pkwy entrance. I think it is a very important statue that is overlooked by many visitors everyday. I have searched all over the internet for articles relating to the statue. Most of the things I find are very broad. I am going to contact Metro Parks to see where I can find more accredited information on the statue and its history in the park.



http://www.louisvilleghs.com/LGHS_MASTER/SUB/Legends/Pan%20Of%20Cherokee%20Park/Pan_Of_Cherokee.html

An Appreciation of Its Elegance

I find myself on a dirt path with not soul near to me. The blue sky and scorching sun illuminate what lay before my eyes. Brown trees and earth accompany billowing clouds of green over my shoulders. Rocks of all shapes and sizes situate themselves as obstacles on the course I travel. The leaves ruffle against each other as the wind bends the thin tree trunks and smacks branches against one another. Squirrels pounce from place to place shuffling the twigs and leaves they pounce upon. You can hear the constant stream of water as it flows over rocks and logs in the background. All else is of no importance at this time.
I am too caught up in the highly technical lifestyles we live today to go without a release from time to time. Some days I am just as well off standing in the heart of Times Square. Taxi drivers blast their horns at every chance. People impatiently shove their way through a crowded street. Lights and visual propaganda piled high at every corner. Sometimes that highly stressful environment is raging in between my ears. Thus I always find myself running back to the peaceful trails of Cherokee Park.
There are good days and bad. Things change over time. What always remains the same in my eyes is nature. Its elegance never seizes to amaze me. The perfect formation of trees and earth’s creations that accompany my path is always present. The trees and friendly noises from the local animals and natural sounds are always there. They let me use their elegance to cleanse my mind without asking anything of me. They are history. There are so many thoughts you could ponder while in the presence of such a precious yet simple environment. Who once lived here before? Who appreciated this environment before I had the privilege? I find that my mind runs off on many different tangents while in the presence of this great atmosphere. When I am here I have the ability to let my mind run wild and pursue any thought that comes to me. I am at peace with myself as well as my surroundings because of the relaxation and peace I am able to experience because of nature’s elegance.
As I stride further through every bend and curve on the trail I lose myself more and more to the nature that engulfs me. My body purifies in many ways along the journey. The toxicity of pollution from the city and immoral bandwagon stereotypes poison me. I release these negative thoughts through each breathe I take on my trail and every bead of sweat that rolls off my face. My mind untangles itself from thoughts of the outside world. My skin begins to perspire as I fight the blinding rays of sun that find cracks between the flexing leaves in the olive canopy above. There is no real sense of time as I trek further and further. My body exhausts in the head and strenuous trail I hike. Often I find a soft and inviting tree trunk to stop and rest upon.
As I sit on the earth resting against a tree’s body I gaze at the still life that presents itself before me. Each visit to Cherokee Park allows me to leave with a new image in my mind. When I am at work or in school and need a temporary pleasant thought I can reflect upon these graceful views of woodlands. These images help alleviate my mind of stress or anxiety when there is too much chaos going on. I have a new purpose to go back to my favorite trails each week. The trails I traverse are fuel for my body. Not only does it cleanse by body at the site but it offers a visual that is able to relax my thoughts in times of need. The prominence of our simple and precious earth that can be witnessed as a dirt trail with surrounding colorful trees, rocks, diverse wildlife, and harmonizing water deserves much appraisal and respect.
It is a very humble experience when I allow my mind to escape into the trail. When I wind down I am able to see beyond the trees and nature in front of me. I see a vast number of years and history. How did the park get the name Cherokee Park? Who once lived on the land that I walk along? There is so much to learn about something that interests me as well as others so much. As I leave the trail and head back to our highly industrialized and high strung society I see others who are running from their outside life as I had moments earlier. They begin to make their way into the woods to unwind and let their mind run wild with the squirrels scattering up and down trees. I see the positive moods and smiles in their smiles as they nod passing by. I am jealous as it is my time to return to my modern day, two ton, mode of transportation.
After I enter back into my reality and the real world I immediately think of the refreshing experience I just encountered. Shortly after I am back in traffic and cursing the headaches I acquire from it. I enter back into the world of urgency and highly stressful situations at every corner. My black car sucking the sun into its windows boils by skin as I sit. The rush is on to get home as I need to be at work in nearly an hour. However, I had never left the dirt underneath my feet. I am still sitting with the perspiration on my back gluing my body to the oak tree I rest on. I am back listening to the squirrels scrambling through brush and the wind howling through the trees. The elegance of the trail I had just observed was still fresh in my mind helping me cope with the difficult realities I face once again.

Homeword Post #2

I was particularly drawn to Lopez's remarks after he saw the horse. He says, "I was not eager to move. The moment I did I would be back in the flow of tirne, the horse no longer quivering in the same way before me." (501 part 2) This drew my attention the most because it really gave me (the reader) a sense of Lopez's emotions from the horse. This descriptive wording by Lopez really showed how in awe he was by the experience. He was in awe of something so old and rare out in the world. It was something so great that it froze time for him. His mind was frozen by the precious image that laid before him.
I think a reason that this particular part of the narrative grasped my attention was because I could correlate to Lopez's emotions. Something so rare and precious from people who lived where we did so long ago would be amazing to me as well. His description of his thoughts and emotions at that time is something that many people will relate to in some sense or another. His words description of his emotions really showed the importance of the horse to him. It made his passage stronger by letting the reader know how amazing the specatacle was he saw.

Leaving the Cave

My sophomore year of college I was not achieving my personal goals in school. This happened with some of my friends as well. We were not attending all of our classes and not giving school our full attention. After my first semester of sophomore year I decided I needed to give school my full attention and effort because it was an important part of my future. I began a new routine with my entire lifestyle. I began to run a few times a week along with getting my studies done on time. Some of my friends struggled for a longer time than I did. When I 'went back into the gave' I told my friends how I was doing with the changes I had made and they envied my decisions and performance. It soon helped them follow the same path to correct their bad study habbits. Cherokee park is where I usually went to run or walk with my dog. It helped relieve stress and gave my body a sense of accomplishment and motivation to keep up my healthy habbits in all areas of my life. I also became more interested with architecture of random things throughout the park. Little things I never saw before began to spark my curiosity and kept my mind busy. The loop in Cherokee Park is part of my new lifestlye.

"Better to be the poor servant of a poor master, and to endure anything, rather than think as they do and live after their manner." This quote from Homer repeated by Socrates has a lot to do with an individuals environment and perception of the outside world. A servant has a lot more respect for their environment than the master who lives above everyone else in society. If you are a master you put yourself above others shutting off the ability to take in the knowledge of the outside world. Socrates is saying that it is better to have a more diverse knowledge and respect for the 'outside world' than to think the ways of a master. The master and the servant will have different virtues and priorities in life based on their perceptions of the outside world. I agree with Socrates' philosophy because you will get a lot more out of life if you accept other peoples opinions, practices, and beliefs. In doing so this will add a more diverse knowledge to one's mind.

Brainstorming Unit One

Potential Places:
-Cherokee Park
-The River walk at Irqiuois Park downtown
-Red River Gorge
-Jefferson Memorial Forest
-Cherokee Golf Course Pond
Each of these places are very important to me. They are places I think of when I am in class or working. They are where I would like to be everyday rather than in school or work. They are all similar places in that I almost escape from my hectic lifestyle while I am there.
I would like to learn more specifically about Red River Gorge, however, it is most likely too far away to chose as my place.
All of these places hold some kind of historical signifigance. Each place also has signifigance to my friends and/or family.
I am leaning towards Cherokee park because I go there very often. I am able to clear my head there rather it be take my dog there to play, go on a long run, find a trail to walk, or just hang out with my friends. Cherokee Park is a very calming place to me because of all of the experiences I have and have had with it.

moi

Moi
Who am I? Trevor Davis. I am from the United States of America. I have lived in the city of Louisville all of my life. The past couple years of my life have included extremely unpredicted events to say the least. Therefore I am not completely sure as to what will happen next. I plan to graduate with a Masters in Industrial Engineering in a few years. I expect to go wherever my job or interests take me. I have been writing since the first grade. It may not have made much sense but it was definitely what I classify as writing. On a serious note, I usually only write because I have to for class. On certain occasions I do find myself not looking at the clock and enjoying the constant keystrokes. Writing isn't half bad if I am writing about something that interests me and I am not in a hurry.
I define 'place' as a physical location. Often the term comes to mind when I think about travel. The place where someone wants to retire or vacation at. I'm sure there are a seventeen or eighteen different definitions to the term place, but that is how I define it.