Before it was a phosphate mine, a tax haven, an offshore prison, or a climate cautionary tale, the small south pacific island of Nauru was known to Europeans as Pleasant Island. A British captain named John Fearn gave it that name in 1798 after sighting what looked like (as was!) an attractive and peaceful island. At the time, the name likely seemed innocent enough: a lush island, remote from Europe, pleasant because it looked untouched by systems that would latter eviscerate

Have you ever looked at someone's lawn and thought, "What's the point?” I am always struck by the stark difference between a forest preserve and the property that backs up to it. One is a complex living entity unto itself, the other is a green scar that dots the landscape. One holds the promise of a thriving ecosystem with plants, animals and fungi all interacting to keep the forest alive, the other mows, sprays pesticides, and pulls unwanted inhabitants in order to keep its

One meaningful experience I had from our learning community was participating in an outdoor lab where we tapped sugar maple trees for sap. Although the lab was to introduce us to our community’s sustainability efforts, I found an interest in the Indigenous traditions and their relationship with the land. Amanda Krause, Oakton’s Naturalist, shared with our class that the Indigenous people used the same seasonal techniques to gather sap. Their practice consisted of tapping mapl

As Indigenous communities continue to face economic and social disparities, climate-related disasters, and dispossession, there have been significant attempts to rectify the harms of settler colonialism. Two approaches that have been proposed include “resurgence” and “the politics of recognition.” Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is a Mississauga Nishnabeeg activist and writer of “Indigenous Resurgence and Co-Resistance”. Simpson addresses “the politics of recognition” by examinin

As I walk across the farmland tended by an Anishinaabe tribe, I gaze upon the golden kernels of corn growing atop the tall, green stalk....

In a world where concrete jungles and fluorescent screens have manipulated our sense of reality, it is no wonder that so many feel an...

Windigo "Deer Monster" Illustration by Dane Cozens Colonizers of this world have used organized religion, geographical terraforming,...

Nature is one of the most important aspects of our lives, and arguably the most important aspect in our lives. We cannot live without...

A new collaboration between Oakton's Naturalist, Biology Professor, and students is ready for 2025!