Exercise #2: Family Environmental History
March 2, 2026 By: Sandra
My environmental history is closely tied to Cameroon, where my grandparents, parents, and I all grew up before I moved to Canada four years ago to pursue my bachelor’s degree. Looking back across three generations, it is clear that our relationship with the environment has shifted from direct dependence on land and animals to a more distant and managed interaction shaped by urban life, education, and migration. These changes reflect not only personal choices, but also broader historical forces such as colonial legacies, urbanization, and economic change.
Both my maternal and paternal grandparents lived in rural areas of Cameroon and depended almost entirely on the land for survival. They were farmers who cultivated crops and raised animals, including goats, chickens, and sometimes cattle. Farming was not a lifestyle choice but a necessity. The environment was something they worked with daily: soil quality determined harvests, rainfall controlled food availability, and animals represented both wealth and security. Forests provided firewood, medicinal plants, and building materials, while rivers and streams supplied water for both people and livestock.
Although these environments might appear “natural,” they were deeply shaped by human activity. Land was cleared for farming, animals grazed freely, and traditional knowledge guided planting and harvesting cycles. European-introduced crops and animals, brought during the colonial period, had already transformed local ecosystems long before my grandparents’ time. Still, their environmental footprint was relatively small. There was little mechanization, minimal waste, and almost everything was reused. Environmental care was not framed as conservation, but as survival.
My parents’ generation experienced a major shift. Both of my parents moved from rural environments to the city of Douala, Cameroon’s largest urban and economic center. My father became a doctor, and my mother worked as a sales representative. Urban life dramatically changed their relationship with the environment. Instead of producing food, they relied on markets. Instead of collecting firewood, they used gas or electricity. Water came from taps, not rivers.
Douala itself is a highly human-made environment. It is densely populated, industrial, and shaped by colonial and post-colonial development. Mangroves were cleared, roads expanded, and pollution increased. Flooding became common due to poor drainage and rapid urban growth. My parents were aware of these environmental problems, but like many urban residents, they had limited power to change them. Economic stability and education were prioritized over environmental concerns. The environment became something to adapt to, rather than something to manage directly.
Class played an important role in this shift. Because my parents had stable professional jobs, they were less directly exposed to environmental risks such as food insecurity or reliance on degraded land. At the same time, their lifestyle contributed more to environmental change through consumption, transportation, and waste. Gender roles also mattered. Women in my family were still largely responsible for cooking, food preparation, and household management, even in the city, which shaped how environmental issues like water access or food prices were experienced.
I grew up in Cameroon within this urban context, where environmental issues such as flooding, waste accumulation, and unreliable infrastructure were normal parts of daily life. Environmental degradation was visible, but rarely discussed in terms of history or sustainability. It was simply “how things were.” When I moved to Canada four years ago, my relationship with the environment changed significantly.
In British Columbia, the environment is carefully regulated and managed. There are recycling programs, protected parks, clean water systems, and environmental policies that are enforced. At the same time, consumption levels are much higher. Heating, transportation, food imports, and housing require large amounts of energy. I am far more removed from the sources of my food and energy than my grandparents ever were, yet my environmental footprint is much larger.
Studying environmental history has helped me understand that none of these relationships exist in isolation. My grandparents’ farming practices were shaped by colonial agriculture and limited technology. My parents’ urban life was shaped by post-colonial development and economic opportunity. My own experience in Canada is shaped by global inequality, migration, and industrial systems. Environmental history allows me to see these connections clearly.
Looking forward, I want my relationship with the environment to be more intentional than that of previous generations. I cannot return to my grandparents’ way of life, nor would that be realistic. However, I hope to combine the respect for land and resources that shaped their lives with the environmental awareness and institutional support available today. Understanding my family’s environmental history has shown me that environmental responsibility is not just about individual choices, but about recognizing how history shapes the options available to us.