Exercise #2: Family Environmental History
Instructions
For Exercise #2, you will bring the environmental concepts home by looking at your own and your family environmental history.
Our lives and present environments are products of history. Our parents and grandparents grew up in very different environments from those of today. In our study of environmental history, it is helpful to think about our families’ past environments and their meaning for us today.
- Write an informal essay, between 700 and 1100 words, reflecting on your personal environmental history going back to your grandparents, parents, and your own generation. See the Exercise 2 Samples for a guide to this exercise.
- In formulating your response, consider the environments in which they and you have lived. Where were they located? What natural resources sustained your families and their communities? To what extent were those environments “natural” or human-made, native, or exotic (that is, transformed by European or other non-native species)? How have your families helped to transform their environments? Does your own ethnic and class heritage or gender play a role in the way you and your family have related to and valued the environment? How did the relationships your grandparents and parents had with their environments differ from the ones you have had in the past and wish to have in the future?
- Post your response by clicking ‘Add Submission’ below.
- Please note, you should write and edit your submission in a separate file then copy and paste it into the submission box. Once submitted to the HIST 3991 trubox site, you will not be able to edit your post.
Are you a student of HIST 3991? Click here to add a submission to this assignment.
Submissions
Exercise #2: Family Environmental History
October 21, 2023 By: Yu Ming
A narrative of migration, adaptation, and transformation characterizes the environmental history of my family. It tells the tale of how our relationship with the environment has changed over time as we move from the busy streets of Hong Kong to the various landscapes of Canada. As a second-generation immigrant, I often think about the cultural interactions, environmental circumstances, and environmental rules that have created my family’s identity. The story of my family and I begins in the exciting metropolis of Hong Kong. The natural environment of Hong Kong was characterized by abundant subtropical vegetation, creating a lush landscape that the…
My Family Environmetnal History
October 12, 2023 By: Sky Freeman
Dr. Butorac HIST 3991: Environmental History Sky Freeman Sept 20, 2023 My recent family has lived in BC for their entire lives, with my mother’s grandparents growing up in Chilliwack, one on a farm and one on walnut orchard. My father’s parents grew up on farm in Falkland and the lower mainland. My mother’s family then lived in Chilliwack before moving around the north of BC as my grandfather worked for the Forest Service, before landing a permanent location in Williams Lake. My dad’s parents moved to the Williams Lake area and Likely as part of work fighting forest…
Exercise #2: Family Environmental History
October 10, 2023 By: Bruno Knopfel
Three out of my four grandparents emigrated from Western Europe to Brazil in the 1940’s My grandfather from my father’s side travelled from Switzerland, my grandmother from my father’s side from Germany, my grandfather from my mother’s side from Austria, and finally my grandmother from my mother’s side was the only one born in Brazil. I will focus on my grandparents who came from Europe as they were all deeply affected by World War II and came to Brazil seeking for a better life. Both my grandmother from my mother’s side and my grandfather from my mother’s side were only…
Exercise 2: Family Environmental History
October 8, 2023 By: V. Pattenden
Prof. N. Fennema HIST 3991: Environmental History V. Pattenden T00593695 October 8, 2023 Exercise 2: Family Environmental History Having emigrated to Canada as a child with my small nuclear family, my family origins are based predominantly in the UK and my knowledge of the family history is limited. Fortunately, I managed to gather some information from my mother to combine with my research of areas in which my family originated and places where they settled. From what I can gather, my family’s lives were greatly impacted by the effects of WW1, the interwar period between 1918 and 1939 (which…
My Familys Environmental history
September 18, 2023 By: Sam McQuillan-Gordon
I’m Sam, a 25-year-old born and raised right here in Kamloops, British Columbia. Although my connection to this land is only three generations old, My family’s story is still tightly woven with this place we’ve called home for over 70 years. From my grandparents to my parents and down to my own generation, this city will forever have a special place in our hearts. My family’s history starts with my mom’s parents of Scottish descent, who moved from Moosejaw, Saskatchewan, to Kamloops when she was just a kid. Moosejaw was smack-dab in the prairies, a land of open spaces and…