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What is considered natural is very hard to pinpoint in this day and age, as very little is left untouched by humans in some manner. As a result, it is much more common to consider gardens, manicured lawns, and arboretums as part of nature, even if they are far from natural. This seems understandable when one compares such human creations to the skyscrapers and interstates that are a staple of American life. Through such a lens, Davidson’s campus appears much more natural. One example of this is the large trees that surround the well located in front of Chambers. The size of those trees indicates that they are of significant age. It is unlikely that they were planted, but rather they are likely the remnants of a forest that may once have existed on Davidson’s campus.
Obviously this is not the case for the majority of trees at Davidson. A thorough inspection of the campus maps reveals a very detailed plan for the exact location and species of every tree located on campus. The school devised a plan for what species of tree would be planted and in what designated area. This realization would have been impossible without the campus maps, and it definitely takes away from the natural appearance of the campus. At the same time, I do not think the natural feel that emanates as one tours Davidson’s campus is completely negated by this realization. Compared to many other colleges and universities in North Carolina, like the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Davidson appears very in touch with nature.
This is where it becomes important to differentiate between wilderness and nature. Wilderness, as I see it, is what existed before human interaction or manipulation. Such a definition means that state and national parks are nearly all that remains of the wilderness in present day America. Thus, Davidson’s campus obviously does not qualify as wilderness. The campus maps show that Davidson has been changed and transformed over the years according to human desires. This does not mean, however, that nature is no longer present at Davidson. The trees are still home to squirrels and there are enough woods to house the affectionately named “Commons monster,” several deer, and even the occasional skunk. While all of this is merely a remnant of the once untamed wilderness that existed here long before Davidson was ever founded, it is still nature.
As far as the most unnatural aspect of Davidson’s campus, I have to agree with Ian’s anointing of the artificial turf inside Richardson Stadium. It resembles a cheap doormat more than it does natural grass. The artificial turf is also very painful to fall on. The little black pebbles that Ian mentioned are not easy on the skin if you fall-they destroy your legs and leave something similar to a rug-burn, only worse. The artificial turf is yet another example of the human transformation of Davidson’s campus. Even so, as long as the trees, shrubs, and grass remain, Davidson will always maintain contact with nature.