When I think about my family’s environmental history, I can clearly see a movement from a life that was centred on nature to an urban or much modernized life, and then to my own generation that is trying to reconnect with the environment in a more conscious way. Looking at my grandparents, my parents, and myself shows how different environments shape not only daily life but also values, habits, and our relationship with natural resources especially with a world that is continuously evolving. My grandparents grew up in Pangasinan, a province in the Philippines defined by its vast rice fields…

My grandparents’ childhood was in small communities in NL during the mid-twentieth century, when their way of life was still connected to the land and the sea. Although I was raised in a planned town centered on an airport, my grandparents were raised in areas where the environment was not a view to be enjoyed—it was a means of survival. Fishing, small-scale agriculture, wood harvesting, and hunting were not recreational activities but survival needs. Cod, salmon, and trout were natural sources of food, and moose had become a part of their landscape by the time of my grandparents’ childhood. Firewood…

From Delhi’s Dust to Surrey’s Green: An Environmental Journey Through Generations My environmental history is a tapestry woven with threads of bustling cityscapes, verdant farmlands, and the silent whispers of nature. It’s a story that begins in the heart of Delhi, India, with my grandparents, extends to my parents, and finds its current chapter in my life in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. This journey across continents and cultures has profoundly shaped my understanding of the environment and our relationship with it. My grandparents’ lives were deeply intertwined with the environment of Delhi. They lived in a traditional neighborhood, where the…

Family Environmental History: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada When I think about my family’s environmental history, I see it as a series of shifting relationships with land, water, and work, shaped by changing economic conditions and cultural expectations. Each generation has interacted with the environment differently, not only because the landscapes themselves have changed, but because the meanings attached to nature, labour, and sustainability have shifted over time. My grandparents grew up in a period when daily life was more directly tied to local environments and natural resources. Their experiences were shaped by a mix of rural and small-town settings,…

For Exercise #2: Family Environmental History  This essay examines my family’s environmental history through the experiences of my Nana, my grandfather, my mother, and myself. It explores how land, resources, labour, and values have shaped our relationship with the environment over time. My family’s story reflects changing environmental conditions, increasing regulations, and evolving ideas about land use and sustainability across generations. My Nana’s family history begins in Europe. Her father was Scottish, and her mother was English; both immigrated to Canada at a young age. They moved to Chilliwack, where they lived on a small farm. From a young age,…