Nature Nut

Most people that know me will probably say that I'm an environmentalist. I'm a tad bit crazy when it comes to recycling, reducing consumption, and reusing products. I, of course, do not feel that I am irrational when it comes to conserving the environment but I don't mind the label. Nature is important to me, especially it's protection. I work in a copy shop and I recognize that anyone would look slightly crazy when they begin to dig through the garbages to pull out scraps of paper people have heartlessly thrown away. "Any bit helps," I always say...
Growing up in Sherwood Park, I was surrounded by trees. There has to be some kind of correlation between the great Sherwood Forrest, right? The neighborhoods all boast sidewalks shrouded in trees and bushes. I've always found this look to be somewhat romantic. It's nice to stroll through the streets on hot days with reliefs of shade never too far way. There is a big difference in scenery when I do find myself in Edmonton. There is a vast contrast between the wilderness of suburbia that I'm used to and the baron streets of the big city. My Edmonton is remarkably small, as I see only a tiny portion of the city in my day to day life, so I know I can't completely condemn it as "natureless". There is the river valley after all, but I can't include that in my definition of Edmonton.
I remember that one of my favourite shows to watch as a little girl was John Acorn's "The Nature Nut". Sometimes, I still find myself humming the theme song every once in a while. Recently, I actually had the pleasure of meeting my childhood idol, Mr. John Acorn. I was, of course, a huge loser about it. This slightly embarrassing encounter did make me reflect on nature in Edmonton though. It was one of those opportune incidents that coincide with other situations in your life, like brainstorming for blog posts. Mr. Acorn was leading a group of students from the University to go on a nature walk in Edmonton. The lack of nature that I seem to notice really comes from my lack of knowledge. Instead of gripping about how "My Edmonton" is sparce, I might just have to expand my definition and understanding. A lot of the blogs that I read through this week talked about interpreting and discovering the city as a tourist or as a child. Given that I actually am somewhat of a tourist in Edmonton, I might have to actually get out there and walk the river valley. I've never done that before. Now that I have some pretty impressive connections to the likes of The Nature Nut, I might actually go on a nature walk and experience a different side of the city.