By Sophia Chirico The Chesapeake Bay Many can agree the health of the Chesapeake Bay is deteriorating. Until about 1950, the Chesapeake Bay accounted for over 75% of the total reported U.S. harvest of blue crabs. Since that time, there has been a slow decline in the region’s market share to an average of less... Continue Reading →
By Charlotte Walters (Spring 2022) The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines waste in multiple ways such as “a sparsely settled or barren region,” and “refuse from places of human or animal habitation such as garbage, excrement, and sewage.” Put simply, waste is discarded, expelled, or excess matter. However this term invokes a more complicated discourse in relation... Continue Reading →
By Bibiana Mirones (Spring, 2022) Understanding Environmental Anthropology This semester I took Dr. Mara Dicentas Environmental Anthropology Course at William and Mary. Before I take any class that discusses people, topics of decolonization, and themes of intersectionality, I am conscious and reflect on what I hope I will gain from as well as be critical... Continue Reading →
By Elyas Bouallegui (Spring 2022) This blogpost attempts to illustrate the molding of space by human and non-human inhabitants as they work to serve their own motives in similar ways within a shared space. Specifically, I will be telling the story from my perspective through observing and interviewing a frequent and longtime visitor of Huntley... Continue Reading →
Exploring human-animal relations with the William and Mary Bird Club By Alice Palfreyman (Spring 2022) Walking through the Wildflower Refuge on the William and Mary campus, I hear some excitement from the Bird Club crowd in front of me as we turn the corner. Peering through my binoculars, I see exactly what everyone is raving... Continue Reading →
Stella Davis, Grace Dho, Anna Lowe, & Lindsey Monteith Indigenous Voices in Conservation 2022 Think about your favorite local state park. You probably associate it with beautiful landscapes, wildlife, and trails. But, how much do you know about the Indigenous history of that park or the land it’s on? Despite having extensive Indigenous connections, the... Continue Reading →
By: Yousuf Barekzay, Margaret Donnan, Genevieve Kennedy, Alison Walsh The Rappahannock River (Drawing by Genevieve Kennedy) Introduction When we were presented with the opportunity to do research centered around exploring an Indigenous issue in conservation, many of us were interested in hunting and fishing laws and how those regulations have interrupted heritage practices among different... Continue Reading →
Evelyn Hall, Marley Fishburn, Laila Kennedy, Isabel Hawkes Park Signage (Kennedy 2022) Williamsburg Botanical Garden We visited Freedom Park's botanical garden this past Spring. While it was a wonderful experience with the flora and fauna that the end of winter brings, we had another purpose for our visit. This walk in the park was a... Continue Reading →
Click here to check our interactive GIS map on Virginia's parks. Our class went to do some ethnographic explorations about Nature, Settler Colonialism, and Indigenous Voices in Conservation: York River State ParkFreedom ParkJamestown IslandCollege Landing more to come...
Afternatures: The Politics of Race, Science, & Nature 