I really appreciate the way you have offered this reflection with an array of words, thoughts, art, and landscape photos. Terraforming is a new word for me, and although the practice is familiar at some levels, I will now intentionally put on those glasses and be more intentional about noticing. When I zoom in on my own life I also acknowledge moments when I have fallen into the mode of altering and beautifying the land for my own purposes. One example was when I was discerning how to go about putting a labyrinth in the backyard. It was a low area that became a pond of water in the spring. I concidered hauling in dirt and rocks to creat a beautiful labyrinth with a water fountain. But after pausing and listening to the land, I simply mowed a labyrinth into the grass and welcomed the dips and contours and wet areas as part of the walking experience. Different water plants grow naturally in the labyrinth path each year, depending upon how much moisture we have in the spring. Thanks for writing this post that encourages me to look at my own actions as well as the actions of our society through the lense of terraforming.
What a great read! The concept of terraforming has really grabbed me. As someone that also just assumed the slough naturally occurred on both sides of the road, I'm planning on spending my next few commutes to work paying attention to the land and noticing the terraforming.
Love those terraform glasses. I need a pair! This is something I think about quite a bit, though the term itself is new. That said, we are so accustomed to the terraformed landscape around us that we don't easily recognize it. And often, even when we do recognize the change, it is actually subsequent change--as land is sometimes transformed over and over again. (From a prairie to farmland to a subdivision or shopping mall...and that's just in recent history.) Or maybe we look at a forest thinking it is natural when, in fact, it was once a very different forest that was ravaged by timber companies, then lost all of its topsoil to erosion before growing back with other trees and plants, many of which are non-native and may even be invasive. Hope you will share other good resources on this subject as you come across them.
I hadn't heard the word "terraform", but I sure am familiar with the concept. I often try to imagine the land as it was before the Europeans got here. Sadly, most of our ancestors saw it only as a vehicle for their survival and profit. My favorite example of this is the Army Corps of Engineers (US). Many of their projects so disrupt the natural geography that disaster results. Draining of the Everglades so sugar cane can be grown and the creation of dikes and levees in New Orleans that gave way during Katrina are 2 examples. We might do better to let the topography lead us to sustainable use.
I've thought about terraforming some. Mostly when I'm kayaking the Qu'Appelle in town. The mouth of the river, as it empties into Mission Lake, is not natural...I think (I might be wrong!). There is a second "mouth" the heads north just prior to the main mouth. This second mouth travels past a Metis fur trader's house from the 1880s. That house makes me assume that this would have been the original mouth of the Qu'Appelle, as it would be an ideal location for a fur trading business in those days.
So why would man have channeled out a "new" river exit? Prevent some potential flooding? I don't know.
Oh you two have me scratching my head and rethinking and debating within my head of how I’ve thought of things my whole life! I need lots of time to descramble things! I see many angles on this topic…1. We Need Nature (our health is dependent on its health as well as the health of those who’s homes are in nature 2. The world needs food (that seems to be how farmers are looking at things and the $ earned isn’t burned with the tree piles) - as Jerry says (husband) ‘there are too many of us’ so too much food needed, too much water (gotta flush toilets) too much for one patch of land to sustain so many humans 3. It’s a little late to be concern with past terraforming as it’s already been done, changed and reformed a dozen time. So question is how do we (world) not cause more destruction. How do we look at land with respect to the land and wildlife? I think this type of dialogue is important- bring awareness and caring BUT unless there are laws and regulations it will continue. Yes this is the colonial view but tell me how else? Open to ideas…brainstorm away!
I live in the Qu’Appelle Valley and when we first moved home there were bylaws about not building on the hills to ensure the hills remained (some are like sugar) but a while back people seem to disregard that law…why? Cause someone had bought the property, wanted a home in valley, hired an engineer to say it was fine and then gouged out the hill, used $$ to build walls around their homes so hill wouldn’t fall and push their houses to the bottom! Lumsden area comes to mind as examples of what happened! Why was that bylaw forgotten and not enforced? $$
City planners look at a development and designate a percentage towards green space. Could a farmer be asked to designate a percentage to nature? Colonial thoughts…yours?
Grandmother’s Hills, the ¼ section (colonial concept) on the Qu’Appelle Valley (glacial formation) that I/we believed was healthy native prairie, until Lois Gibson, environmentalist from the west coast of Canada, cast her eyes upon it and saw, stressed, 90 years of over grazing, land. Thus began the learning and practice of holistic management and grasslands. Grasslands that had been managed by buffalo and hunters for thousands of years.
Lodgepole Pines (planted in the 1940’s), in Prince Edward Island National Park (created in 1937) on land that had been stolen from the Mi'kmaq in the 1700’s and used for farming since 1720. The original forest, know as Acadian forests (colonial concept) was a rich diversity of trees native to Eastern Canada. Lodgepole Pines are native to Western Canada.
The Acadians were expelled from Prince Edward Island in 1755 during the wars between the colonizers (England and France). My Scottish family arrived in 1806 (Scottish Highland Clearances), and farmed part of the land that was to become the National Park. My father had a role in planting the Lodgepole Pines. I walked the unnatural linear paths between these pines and breathed deeply, gave thanks for their being. Post Tropical Storm Fiona, September 24, 2022 ended the upright life of many, many trees on Prince Edward Island, including the Lodgepole Pines. I grieve that they are no longer upright.
I don’t yet know what I am saying about terraforming. Is there another way, maybe terrarelating, something about relationship with the more-than-human, about mutuality, I don’t know. Thank you for this provoking reflection.
I can relate to what Jaynie has said - so many large, single family dwellings sprawled over what must be arable land. It bothers me whenever we drive to the city and see how it has spread. Of course when I say arable land, I am thinking in terms of farming and growing food. I have never known the word terriform , but what first came to mind was when we lived in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and, while I was admiring the beauty of the landscape, my farmer husband was commenting on how they could make better USE of the land. Sue will remember walking from where we live in town to the farm where I grew up. Although I've never been a farm girl in the truest sense, I've still always been drawn to the land and walked and lain down on it many times over the years. It is truly a source of strength and peace that many no longer know or can access. Thanks for reminding us and drawing our attention to the terriforming of colonization.
I didn’t have a word for the process but it’s bothered me for some time. From my urban perspective the ideal is to have an expanse of uniform green lawn. It takes a lot of water, time and chemicals to attain that ideal and it isn’t a healthy environment in the end anyway.
Another thing that bothers me is the continued expansion of cities. Not only are they expanding onto agricultural land but our cities (at least in western Canada) are very sprawling expanses of large, single family homes. I’m saddened.
Jan 3, 2023·edited Jan 3, 2023Liked by Vera Saltzman and Sue Bland
I have struggled with living in Iowa, central Iowa that is, where we are surrounded by soy and corn fields. All laid out in grids. While this creates a kind of spacious beauty all of its own, it reveals an abused and exhausted land. (Did you know that Iowa imports 90% of its food?). I have spent a lot of time photographing this place and continue to search for a way to express the relationship of those who live here to the land.
Hi Vera and Sue, just wanted to say I've been finding your ongoing dialogue with the landscapes around you really interesting and enjoyable. Your posts are pushing me to rethink the ways in which I'm going to photograph the landscapes around me in 2023. The idea of engaging with the landscape without falling into the trap of classifying it or (as landscape photographers often do) falsely beautifying it, is a really important step. I don't have the answers right now, but you've got me asking questions. :)
I really appreciate the way you have offered this reflection with an array of words, thoughts, art, and landscape photos. Terraforming is a new word for me, and although the practice is familiar at some levels, I will now intentionally put on those glasses and be more intentional about noticing. When I zoom in on my own life I also acknowledge moments when I have fallen into the mode of altering and beautifying the land for my own purposes. One example was when I was discerning how to go about putting a labyrinth in the backyard. It was a low area that became a pond of water in the spring. I concidered hauling in dirt and rocks to creat a beautiful labyrinth with a water fountain. But after pausing and listening to the land, I simply mowed a labyrinth into the grass and welcomed the dips and contours and wet areas as part of the walking experience. Different water plants grow naturally in the labyrinth path each year, depending upon how much moisture we have in the spring. Thanks for writing this post that encourages me to look at my own actions as well as the actions of our society through the lense of terraforming.
Thank you for sharing. A thought provoking article & interesting discussion.
What a great read! The concept of terraforming has really grabbed me. As someone that also just assumed the slough naturally occurred on both sides of the road, I'm planning on spending my next few commutes to work paying attention to the land and noticing the terraforming.
Thanks Sue for clarifying Mr McKinnons words…I haven’t read his book so will check it out.
I am interested in the assumption of the project too…
Love those terraform glasses. I need a pair! This is something I think about quite a bit, though the term itself is new. That said, we are so accustomed to the terraformed landscape around us that we don't easily recognize it. And often, even when we do recognize the change, it is actually subsequent change--as land is sometimes transformed over and over again. (From a prairie to farmland to a subdivision or shopping mall...and that's just in recent history.) Or maybe we look at a forest thinking it is natural when, in fact, it was once a very different forest that was ravaged by timber companies, then lost all of its topsoil to erosion before growing back with other trees and plants, many of which are non-native and may even be invasive. Hope you will share other good resources on this subject as you come across them.
I hadn't heard the word "terraform", but I sure am familiar with the concept. I often try to imagine the land as it was before the Europeans got here. Sadly, most of our ancestors saw it only as a vehicle for their survival and profit. My favorite example of this is the Army Corps of Engineers (US). Many of their projects so disrupt the natural geography that disaster results. Draining of the Everglades so sugar cane can be grown and the creation of dikes and levees in New Orleans that gave way during Katrina are 2 examples. We might do better to let the topography lead us to sustainable use.
I've thought about terraforming some. Mostly when I'm kayaking the Qu'Appelle in town. The mouth of the river, as it empties into Mission Lake, is not natural...I think (I might be wrong!). There is a second "mouth" the heads north just prior to the main mouth. This second mouth travels past a Metis fur trader's house from the 1880s. That house makes me assume that this would have been the original mouth of the Qu'Appelle, as it would be an ideal location for a fur trading business in those days.
So why would man have channeled out a "new" river exit? Prevent some potential flooding? I don't know.
Fun read, ladies!
I am busy solving a problem with rules and regulations…Sue and Mr McKinnon don’t agree?
Oh you two have me scratching my head and rethinking and debating within my head of how I’ve thought of things my whole life! I need lots of time to descramble things! I see many angles on this topic…1. We Need Nature (our health is dependent on its health as well as the health of those who’s homes are in nature 2. The world needs food (that seems to be how farmers are looking at things and the $ earned isn’t burned with the tree piles) - as Jerry says (husband) ‘there are too many of us’ so too much food needed, too much water (gotta flush toilets) too much for one patch of land to sustain so many humans 3. It’s a little late to be concern with past terraforming as it’s already been done, changed and reformed a dozen time. So question is how do we (world) not cause more destruction. How do we look at land with respect to the land and wildlife? I think this type of dialogue is important- bring awareness and caring BUT unless there are laws and regulations it will continue. Yes this is the colonial view but tell me how else? Open to ideas…brainstorm away!
I live in the Qu’Appelle Valley and when we first moved home there were bylaws about not building on the hills to ensure the hills remained (some are like sugar) but a while back people seem to disregard that law…why? Cause someone had bought the property, wanted a home in valley, hired an engineer to say it was fine and then gouged out the hill, used $$ to build walls around their homes so hill wouldn’t fall and push their houses to the bottom! Lumsden area comes to mind as examples of what happened! Why was that bylaw forgotten and not enforced? $$
City planners look at a development and designate a percentage towards green space. Could a farmer be asked to designate a percentage to nature? Colonial thoughts…yours?
Grandmother’s Hills, the ¼ section (colonial concept) on the Qu’Appelle Valley (glacial formation) that I/we believed was healthy native prairie, until Lois Gibson, environmentalist from the west coast of Canada, cast her eyes upon it and saw, stressed, 90 years of over grazing, land. Thus began the learning and practice of holistic management and grasslands. Grasslands that had been managed by buffalo and hunters for thousands of years.
Lodgepole Pines (planted in the 1940’s), in Prince Edward Island National Park (created in 1937) on land that had been stolen from the Mi'kmaq in the 1700’s and used for farming since 1720. The original forest, know as Acadian forests (colonial concept) was a rich diversity of trees native to Eastern Canada. Lodgepole Pines are native to Western Canada.
The Acadians were expelled from Prince Edward Island in 1755 during the wars between the colonizers (England and France). My Scottish family arrived in 1806 (Scottish Highland Clearances), and farmed part of the land that was to become the National Park. My father had a role in planting the Lodgepole Pines. I walked the unnatural linear paths between these pines and breathed deeply, gave thanks for their being. Post Tropical Storm Fiona, September 24, 2022 ended the upright life of many, many trees on Prince Edward Island, including the Lodgepole Pines. I grieve that they are no longer upright.
I don’t yet know what I am saying about terraforming. Is there another way, maybe terrarelating, something about relationship with the more-than-human, about mutuality, I don’t know. Thank you for this provoking reflection.
I can relate to what Jaynie has said - so many large, single family dwellings sprawled over what must be arable land. It bothers me whenever we drive to the city and see how it has spread. Of course when I say arable land, I am thinking in terms of farming and growing food. I have never known the word terriform , but what first came to mind was when we lived in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and, while I was admiring the beauty of the landscape, my farmer husband was commenting on how they could make better USE of the land. Sue will remember walking from where we live in town to the farm where I grew up. Although I've never been a farm girl in the truest sense, I've still always been drawn to the land and walked and lain down on it many times over the years. It is truly a source of strength and peace that many no longer know or can access. Thanks for reminding us and drawing our attention to the terriforming of colonization.
I didn’t have a word for the process but it’s bothered me for some time. From my urban perspective the ideal is to have an expanse of uniform green lawn. It takes a lot of water, time and chemicals to attain that ideal and it isn’t a healthy environment in the end anyway.
Another thing that bothers me is the continued expansion of cities. Not only are they expanding onto agricultural land but our cities (at least in western Canada) are very sprawling expanses of large, single family homes. I’m saddened.
I have struggled with living in Iowa, central Iowa that is, where we are surrounded by soy and corn fields. All laid out in grids. While this creates a kind of spacious beauty all of its own, it reveals an abused and exhausted land. (Did you know that Iowa imports 90% of its food?). I have spent a lot of time photographing this place and continue to search for a way to express the relationship of those who live here to the land.
Hi Vera and Sue, just wanted to say I've been finding your ongoing dialogue with the landscapes around you really interesting and enjoyable. Your posts are pushing me to rethink the ways in which I'm going to photograph the landscapes around me in 2023. The idea of engaging with the landscape without falling into the trap of classifying it or (as landscape photographers often do) falsely beautifying it, is a really important step. I don't have the answers right now, but you've got me asking questions. :)
Can't wait to read more. Keep up the great work.
Alan