Biophilia: Durdle the Great

Biophilia Assignment This assignment is worth 25% of your final grade Please see Avenue for due dates Background The word biophilia stems from the Greek word, 'philia' meaning 'love of'. Put this all together and it literally means a love of life or living things. From a more traditional point of view, it refers to a psychological trait through which humans are subconsciously attracted to and feel an affiliation with plants, animals, and nature 1,2 . It helps explains why people like to keep pets or garden, and why most would drop everything to help an injured puppy. In an increasingly urbanized and indoor world, our opportunities for experiencing nature daily are reduced. Where a lack of exposure to nature persists, medical researchers suggest that “nature deficit disorder’ 3 may ensue, a form of unwellness associated with conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Studies have shown, for example, that many symptoms of ADHD in children are reduced or disappear entirely when they are given regular opportunities for unstructured play outdoors. Examples are abundant and include those from Scotland and Japan where prescription of spending time in nature is used in conjunction with formal medication. 4,5 Scientists cannot yet quantify the benefit of immersing in nature, but they can confidently say that some if better than none. 6 Deliverable First you need a photo. This needs to be a new photo, something you have in the Spring/summer months of 2022. It should be purposeful for this assignment. You are to take a photograph of a plant, wild animal, or landscape that brings some emotion. There are rules for the phot (just to be consistent): • It may not be a photo scraped from the internet. If this occurs, you will automatically receive a grade of zero on the assignment. • You should be in the photo. Crude selfies are preferred (this isn’t an art contest) but if someone else takes it that is fine. • You should be the only human in the photo. • Try to avoid things that aren’t natural in the photo (cars, buildings, etc.) • Animal photos are great but try to have them wild animals (not dangerous ones. Bears don’t tend to pose for photos). This said no TA has ever been upset a dog was in a photo • if you take a photo of a plant, it must be outdoors Once you have taken a photo that meets the above criteria, you are required to write a short report of not more than 750 words. Feel free to write your report as an official report or answer each question individually. Both are acceptable. 1. if this photo were in an art gallery, what title would you give it, and what would be the written description of the subject of the photo, in 1-2 brief sentences? (2 marks) 2. where was it taken, and at what time of day? (1 mark) 3. what does this photo tell us about you as a person? Why did you choose this subject matter (3 marks) 4. can you relate the photo, and your process of selecting the subject of the photo, to the concept of biophilia? (10 marks) You are also welcome to include any other thoughts about the photo in addition to answering the questions above. Please see Avenue for the due date. Rubric The lab grade will be based on a grade out of 20 marks – see above for the mark value for each question and an additional grade of 4 marks for following these criteria. (4 marks) • the photo shall be of good quality and meet all the prescribed criteria • you have shown some attempt at originality in selecting the subject of the photo • the written answers to the questions are complete, clear, and grammar/spelling have been checked before submission • you displayed a genuine attempt at reflecting upon the questions and providing thoughtful responses Footnotes 1. This term is best associated with the following book: Wilson, E. O. 1986. Biophilia. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press. 2. Blaustein, R. (2013). Urban biodiversity gains new converts: cities around the world are conserving species and restoring habitat. BioScience, 63(2), 72-77. 3. This term was made famous by the following book: Louv, R. 2008. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder. Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books. 4. See McCurdy, L. E., Winterbottom, K. E., Mehta, S. S., & Roberts, J. R. (2010). Using Nature and Outdoor Activity to Improve Children’s Health. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 40(5), 102–117. 5. For more info, see https://www.sciencealert.com/doctors-in-scotland-are-literallyprescribing-nature-to-patients-shetland-gps-pilot-benefits-health-mental 6. See Li, Q. (2009). Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function. Environmental Health and Preventative Medicine, 15(1), 9–17. 7. For more info see Lee, A. C. K., & Maheswaran, R. (2011). The health benefits of urban green spaces: a review of the evidence. Journal of Public Health, 33(2), 212–222.