Introduction

As time passes by changes occur. There have been many changes here in America. The country went from being controlled by Great Britain to becoming an independent country forced to rule on its own. Changes also happened to the world as time went on. The atmosphere has always been there and so has the world. As a result of human interaction, the world is in a state of emergency. The world has changed, but not for the better but for the worse. In the world there are millions of environments. These environments have animals or people or both. Animals interact with each other, and people can be interconnected with their environment. These environments are what make up the world but without the improvement of how humans act there is no chance that these environments can manage to stay the same. This blog shows how animals act in their environment, how people can be interconnected to their environment, and that change is needed to keep the world the same.

The blog has many ideas about humans, animals and why it is important to fix the environment. Cheetahs and gazelles both live in the same place. They are the two fastest land animals, respectively, in the world. The cheetah hunts the gazelle, but is not always successful. If the environment were to change, what would happen to this relationship? No one knows the answer, and this is part of the reason why the environment needs protected. Also, a little bit of a different perspective is a person who is interconnected with a place. For example, Gregory Cox, an Iraq War Veteran is interconnected with his hometown of Carmichaels. His personality is the same as the as the personality of Carmichaels. Both situations may not last because of the change in the environment. The photo essay shows that there must be reuse, recycling, and restoring in order for the world to maintain its shape and form. This blog shows how all these ideas are connected and how there must be change.

The world has its problems, but with some help by humans, the world is not in danger. However, if humans do not act now, then it may be too late to save the planet that they inhabit and the things that make their world so beautiful. The cheetah and the gazelle may be lost, people may no longer be connected to their environment, and worst of all, the world could never be the same. So read on and see what is going on in the world.

Cheetah vs. Gazelle

Cheetahs and Gazelles

The wild animals are vast and various in number. They all have some kind of relationship to animals because they all breathe, eat and sleep just like humans do. Both humans and animals have instinct, but these animal friends may not have the reasoning that humans have. Cheetahs and Gazelles are both animals that are found in the savannahs and the warm climates of parts of Africa and other parts of the world. As most know, the cheetah prey upon the gazelle creating the predator-prey relationship that most people think of. These animals just like every other animal have instinct. One question remains is there any reasoning in the actions of both of these animals. Yes they both have reasoning in their heads. Gazelles realize that they must be agile, fast and alert in the wild. The cheetahs realized that the gazelles became faster and more alert, so the cheetah now realizes in order to catch a gazelle, they must be “hiding in the grass when hunting”(Liwkh) around gazelles. Cheetahs and Gazelles use both instinct and reasoning in their wildlife relationship of hunting the other one, hiding from each other and adapting to the other one’s actions.

When in the wild savannahs of Africa, cheetahs use their instinct when choosing what animal to hunt. The cheetah’s favorite meal is the gazelle. As mostly everyone knows the cheetah is the fastest land animal on the planet, but not everyone knows that the gazelle is the second fastest land animal in the world. Even though the cheetah is faster than any animal, they choose to take on the second fastest animal, the gazelle, which is able to escape the cheetah many times without much of an issue. If cheetahs could think of what animal to feed upon, they would like to choose the gazelle, but they would also know that the gazelle is a quite formidable foe. Even though the discovery channel may show the gazelle getting caught and killed by the cheetah all the time, it is not even close to being like that. The gazelle actually has the cheetah’s number. In the savannahs of Africa, where the cheetahs hunt, “there are many gazelles, so gazelles are a common prey of cheetahs”(TKD Tutor). The gazelle is a common animal, so that is why the cheetah hunts the gazelle, but if the cheetahs had reasoning, they would choose to chase a much easier animal like the hyena. It is instinct to chase the common animal because that is how a certain species can survive. Their instinct is to hunt the most common animal so that is why the cheetah hunts the gazelle. The cheetah acts strictly based upon instinct when they choose to hunt. So it is easy to say that the cheetah acts upon instinct rather than the belief that they act based upon reasoning.

The gazelle uses their instinct rather than reasoning. The gazelle is often the prey of cheetahs. Yes, both the cheetah and the gazelle live in the same habitat, but they feed on different things. Gazelles eat plants, herbs and seeds while cheetahs eat meat. Why does the gazelle go to the drier parts of the savannah and not stay in the grassy parts where the cheetahs do not go as much? It is because they have little reasoning, so they use their instinct to base all of their decisions. In the African savannahs, it is common that there are fires that burn a lot of the plants, so “when the tiny new green shoots of grass begin to grow in areas that have been burnt”(African Wildlife Foundation) gazelles travel there so that their young can eat the grass. These drier parts of the savannah are where the cheetahs like to hunt. These areas where the grass shoots sprout are the favorite feeding grounds for the gazelles, so is it instinct that or reasoning that the gazelle chooses to eat in the drier parts of the savannah. It is instinct because if they realized that the cheetahs live and hunt there, then they would not go to those places and choose to eat in the moderately warm areas where the cheetah does not live. If the gazelles realized that the cheetah lived in the dry, sunny areas of the savannah, then they would not go to those parts as much as they do now. It is this reason that makes it seem hard to believe that the gazelle uses reasoning, or even that the cheetah uses instinct. If the gazelle could realize that the cheetah hunts in the drier areas, then they could possibly have some reasoning, but they do not realize that the cheetah hunts in the drier parts of the savannah, so it is hard to believe that the gazelle could have reasoning because it does not realize that it could eat plants and seeds in the softer ground areas where the cheetah does not go. The gazelle does not realize that they are at a disadvantage in certain areas, so the gazelle uses instinct rather than reasoning.

There are however reasons to believe that the gazelle and cheetah use reasoning. The gazelle must know that it is not as fast as the cheetah, but somehow “they easily escape the cheetahs”(TKD Tutor). This is because the gazelle is able to make many zigzag-like moves without slowing down, while the cheetah is unable to make these quick changes in direction as well as the gazelle can. The gazelle realizes that it is slower than the cheetah, but it also knows that the cheetah is unable to make quick, swift moves like the gazelle can. Also, the cheetah can only run full speed for a couple hundred yards at most, so all the gazelle has to do is run in zigzags for a little bit to slow the cheetah, so that they gazelle may get away or even kill the cheetah itself. The gazelle now has a reason for going to the habitat of the cheetah because they may realize that they can beat the cheetah. If they use this knowledge, then yes the gazelle uses reasoning. While the gazelle uses reasoning, the existing question is does the cheetah use reasoning? Yes, it does because the cheetah has learned to hide in the grass where the gazelles live. The cheetah realizes that its speed is useless in the open savannah because they cannot make the same swift moves that gazelle can. So to use their speed to their advantage, they learned to hide in the deeper grass so that they can jump out and pounce onto the defenseless gazelle whenever they walk by the cheetah. So the cheetah can use reasoning because it realizes that it must be sly when it hunts the gazelle. If these two animals are able to adapt to each other’s advantages and disadvantages, then they must be able to have reasoning and intelligence because it takes intelligence and reasoning to make adaptations to their everyday routines. So it is possible that the cheetah and gazelle use reasoning in their decisions.

Both the cheetah and the gazelle use instinct and that is a fact, as well as the idea of reasoning. The cheetah learned to be sly and the gazelle learned to hold off the cheetah for a minute so that it can tire the cheetah and escape. So the reasoning factor is real and the reasoning factor is real as well. Everyone knows that the instinct of the animal is real, but not everyone believes that reason could be a factor in the choices of a small-brained animal. Both instinct and reasoning are a factor in both cheetahs and gazelles. The cheetah and gazelle predator-prey relationship is based both upon the instinct and reason factors.


Work Cited
“Cheetah versus Gazelle.” 2000. Cheetah versus Gazelle. 23 Mar. 2009.

Liwkh. “Wildlifes in Masai Mara.” 10 Mar. 2004. Crowded in watching a cheetah hunting. 26 Mar 2009. http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1124472377047542657YKnbrF>.
“Thomson’s Gazelle.” 18 Dec. 2008. African Wildlife Foundation. 26 Mar. 2009.

Deer Valley

A sunset at Deer Valley

Beauty is a term that is used to define many people and animals, but one area that beauty is not heard of that often is when talking about an environment. Beauty is the sum of qualities that create a sense of pleasure, but beauty can be so much more than that. Beauty is the feeling of home, interest in something, wild, nature and the environment that has been untouched by the death grip of mankind. The environment that each person lives in is what that person believes that nature is. Nature is more than the environment that every person lives in each day. It is more than the city life of downtown Pittsburgh, the calm quiet nights of the suburbs and the Washington & Jefferson campus. Nature is every part of the world from the vast heat of the Sahara to the bitter cold of the South Pole. Everyone has his or her own favorite place or part of nature. One place that is very beautiful is Deer Valley, Pennsylvania. This is a part of nature that has not been destroyed by human interference, and it is the same now as it was several years ago. Deer Valley is a campground where girl scouts, boy scouts and schools take trips to so that they can see the wild nature of Deer Valley. Mount Davis, the highest peak in Pennsylvania is a wondrous sight where one can seem connected to heaven. Also, the wild animals that are around the campgrounds are very beautiful especially all the wild uncommon animal species that Deer Valley has make Deer Valley one of the most beautiful places there is. Through the idea of beauty and the eyes of kids, the beauty of the landscape and the wild uncommon animal species, Deer Valley has remained one of the most beautiful parts of nature.

The beauty of Deer Valley became present through the eyes of children who experienced Deer Valley. Personal experiences through school have proven that even though sometimes there were 6 or 7 miles walked a day, the experience is one of a kind. Every year Boyce Middle School takes the 6th grade students to Deer Valley to show them the environment. Even 11 and 12 year old kids who complained the whole time about all the walking said that they loved the trip. Many kids thought that this was an awesome trip, like Michael Landsman who said, ”the Deer Valley trip was my favorite part of our schooling.” On the Deer Valley trip, there were so many things to do including owl pellet hunting, scavenger hunts, time in a spot of nature, and animal spotting. All the activities were fun, but those were not the reason why the Deer Valley trip was so much fun. It was the fact that we were able to be one-on-one with nature a lot of the time. Also there were no outside influences on the place, so it seemed to some kids that Deer Valley was not even in the U.S. This made it seem like we were learning something completely different, and we were right because Deer Valley’s unique experience was one of a kind and it was all because of the unique beauty that Deer Valley possesses. We learned the entire time, even at night, but we didn’t complain because it was so much fun. We were shocked by all the natural beauty that there is in Deer Valley. The lake, all the trees, Mount Davis, and the most exciting part, the endangered animals all lead to the beauty. These factors all make up beauty to most people, but if kids can realize that part of nature is beautiful, then that is all the reason that is needed to say that Deer Valley is beautiful. Kids are usually afraid of the outdoors, and do not like it, but not Deer Valley. It was a new point of view to us. The experience of Deer Valley is one of a kind, it is one that changes the views about nature, and can make even kids start to care for the environment. It is not the fact that we were away from school that kids thought Deer Valley was beautiful, but the fact that it is beautiful made them still remember the experience and use it as part of graduation speeches. It is through kids’ eyes that Deer Valley has been shown to be a beautiful piece of nature.

The landscape and the environment make up the beauty of Deer Valley. The natural landscape of Deer Valley consists of forests, Deer Valley Lake, Mount Davis, and a bunch of farming fields. The forests are not like the ones that are near residential areas, they are much more beautiful. There are all kinds of little insects crawling all over even though that might not make it beautiful, but it makes it natural and that is part of the beauty as well. The forests are natural, nothing that humans have done has affected these forests. The leaves fall and no one picks them up and it looks so pretty and so much different than the image that is shown on the Discovery Channel. The Discovery Channel does not capture the real image of the landscape. When walking on the leaves, every step taken sinks down into the ground a little bit, and it makes it seem like walking on a trampoline except without the bounce. The trees are tall and look similar to that image that someone gets when they are reading a book and read about the most beautiful forest there is. The only difference is that Deer Valley is real. It is not just like every other image that everyone puts in his or her heads of nature. Deer Valley is much more beautiful than that. Also, Deer Valley has Mount Davis. Mount Davis is the highest peak in Pennsylvania, and at the top of Mount Davis, the is a little tower which people can go up and look out into the sky. This is one of the most beautiful sights there is. When looking out, anyone can see parts of Ohio, West Virginia and obviously Pennsylvania. It is so beautiful. It feels like being on top of the world because there is nothing in sight as tall as Mount Davis. Mount Davis might be the most beautiful part of Deer Valley because it is part of the natural landscape and it makes people realize that there is something out there larger than them. They realize that this mountain brings out the beauty of other places. Looking from the viewing tower, the sight is so amazing that it is hard to describe what it is like. Furthermore, Deer Valley Lake is a beautiful sight. There are so many fish and the water is so clear that the bottom of the lake can be seen. The smaller fish jump out of the water and can be caught with a fish net, but it is a rule that the fish must be thrown right back into the water. The lake is so beautiful with everything surrounding it. The forests and the mountain make the surrounding beautiful. The entire landscape and environment of Deer Valley is so beautiful and Mount Davis, the forest and Deer Valley Lake make that beauty so great.

The true beauty of Deer Valley is in the wild uncommon animals. When walking around Deer Valley there are the usual animals. There are deer, birds, bugs and other critters, but there is one unique thing about Deer Valley. That unique thing is that there are several uncommon animals that live in the surrounding areas such as grouse and ospreys both of which are not very common in western Pennsylvania. These are not the only uncommon animals, but overall the animals make Deer Valley a unique place. The osprey are like eagles except they hunt mostly fish and with Deer Valley Lake these birds swoop down and snatch hold of an innocent fish swimming in the water. This is truly one of the most amazing things that can be seen. This bird is so beautiful in everything that it does and it is a feature of Deer Valley that attributes to the beauty. It is really amazing to see this bird’s actions. One second it will be flying around gracefully then it will see a fish jump out of the water and it will come down and grab it out of the air. It is a truly amazing sight to see and it helps contribute to the beauty that is Deer Valley. Also the grouse, which is the state bird of Pennsylvania, is another bird that makes the beauty of Deer Valley. When in the forest the grouse may not be easily seen right away, but when it is startled it jumps and makes a quick bolt into the sky. It uses the trees as its cover, and hides behind the broken down trees. Then all of a sudden it will just fly into the air. It is really neat to see this wild bird that is not very common. Both of these birds make up part of the beauty of Deer Valley. It is in their unusual and uncommon behavior and actions that these two animals make them so beautiful and they can contribute more to beauty than a lot of other features of Deer Valley.

Deer Valley is a place where there are many beautiful things like the landscape, Mount Davis, the grouse and the osprey can make up the beauty of the entire environment. It is because these factors stated above that define beauty. If they define Beauty, and these factors are all part of Deer Valley, then that make Deer Valley beautiful. Deer Valley has remained one of the most beautiful places in Pennsylvania because of everything that comes to make it a whole. This is an environment that has changed the views of many kids. Deer Valley is way more than anyone can imagine if all they have seen is the city, suburb or the rural regions. The beauty of Deer Valley is what makes it the place it is, and it will stay beautiful for a long time.