LIVING AMONG WILDLIFE: ELEVATING HUMAN-WILDLIFE INTERACTIONS AND COEXISTENCE

Author

Bridget Rebecca Murphy, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow

Files

Graduation Date

Fall 12-15-2023

Document Type

Portfolio

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Name

Environmental Studies

School or Department

Environmental Studies

Abstract

After a semester of learning, both in class and in nature, my writing honed in further on this human-nature divide. To me, I see humans as part of nature – as we are mammals, animals, part of the food chain, biological beings no higher than others on our planet. We have simply constructed this false narrative around us within our societies, minds and media that embeds this division between us and nature, between us and wildlife. Humans have been managing, stewarding, living off and within landscapes for thousands of years. As time and technology evolved, a lot of people began to view nature and wildlife sightings as part of a vacation, a ‘getaway’ from our daily lives. I have been one of those people many times before too. But I imagined a world where that wasn’t the case – what would it look like today if we hadn’t thought that way if we reconnected with our world and the life around us – rather than being so divided. Specifically, I pondered about wildlife and humans interacting, coexisting, and conflicting.

Keywords

wildlife, human, interactions, conflict, coexistence, maryland, agriculture, education, mountain lions, curriculum, rattlesnake

Subject Categories

Agricultural and Resource Economics | Agricultural Education | Animal Studies | Aquaculture and Fisheries | Environmental Studies | Mass Communication | Nature and Society Relations

Recommended Citation

Murphy, Bridget Rebecca, "LIVING AMONG WILDLIFE: ELEVATING HUMAN-WILDLIFE INTERACTIONS AND COEXISTENCE" (2023). Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects. 333.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/grad_portfolios/333