NATURE

nature

ˈneɪtʃə/

noun

1. 1.

   the phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans or human creations.

   
   

   "the breathtaking beauty of nature"

   
   

   synonyms:

   the natural world, the living world, Mother Nature, creation, the world, the environment, the earth, Mother Earth, the universe, the cosmos, natural forces; More

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2. 2.

   the basic or inherent features, character, or qualities of something.

   
   

   "helping them to realize the nature of their problems"

   
   

   synonyms:

   essence, inherent/basic/essential characteristics, inherent/basic/essential qualities, inherent/basic/essential attributes, inherent/basic/essential features, sum and substance, character, identity, complexion More

I like that nature can also include characteristics and attributes, something I hadn't considered. What are the features, characteristics and qualities of the mountain? I suppose it could be what I have already been looking at, majesty freedom and nature but for the sake of this I'll call it wilderness. 

I also enjoy the fact that the synonyms of 1. go as far as including the universe and the cosmos. I suppose what would nature be here on earth if nothing existed outside of it. What do mountains look like on other planets? 

A quick search of "nature" on Pinterest: 

Quite a mixture of themes, colours, textures, some displaying somewhat neutral scenes, some calming, some a little more brutal (lighting etc.). A lot of images of trees and forests or woodland. Weather or climate seems to have a part to play also, with wetter or colder weather being more apparent than a sunny image. Perhaps this is because of the time of year in which I am making this search- autumn/winter. I am pleased that images of mountains have come up although I would probably lose my faith is image searching through this site if they didn't.

I suppose natures takes me back to the begging of my research, looking at the very meaning of mountain. on one hand you have the actual eco systems that are part of mountains. I find it interesting how the habitat changes at you scale the slopes, how it varies so drastically from bottom to top. With this habitat change comes a variation in inhabitants, plants, animals and even the way humans adapt. 

BBC Nature 

This in turn links well with the idea of "nature" referring to characteristics. When I think about it, this concept isn't that new to me. It would be hard to define mountains without giving them characteristics. But it has opened my mind to new words that I might use to help describe them, thinking of them not only has a landmass but an entity.

There is two extremes to mountains that I can identify though it's character: Destructiveness Vs. Fragility.

destructive

dɪˈstrʌktɪv/

adjective

1. causing great and irreparable damage.

   
   

   "the destructive power of weapons"

   
   

   synonyms:

   devastating, ruinous, disastrous, catastrophic, calamitous, cataclysmic; More

   • negative and unhelpful.

     
     

     "destructive criticism"

     
     

     synonyms:

     negative, hostile, antagonistic; More

It seems quite a harsh word to use for something I love to much but it describes more than mountains, it describes nature. The precariousness of the wild is something to be feared, it should be feared. 

When I think of destruction in relation to mountains, I think mainly of glaciers. They are the most erosive force on earth, drastically reshaping landscape over thousands of years. 

  

Alaska - a team ice climb-9945. Photo by Haley Buffman

 On the other hand, glaciers also show the fragility of nature. If you haven't heard about it on the news, you have no doubt read about it on social media. Glaciers are melting due to climate change. As an example, here is an extract of the article from the National Geographic, The Big Thaw, describing the change in the Glacier National Park in Montana:

"When President Taft created Glacier National Park in 1910, it was home to an estimated 150 glaciers. Since then the number has decreased to fewer than 30, and most of those remaining have shrunk in area by two-thirds. Fagre predicts that within 30 years most if not all of the park's namesake glaciers will disappear."

It would seem that nature, mountains, all all that is within it, is held between destructiveness and fragility.  

     

Bibliography:

Web page

Glick, D. (2015). The Big Thaw. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/big-thaw/