Forces of Nature.

The forces of nature are powerful. The flow of lava creates land, the push of glacial ice shapes it, the pull of flood waters moves it, the whirl of a windstorm alters it, the tremor of an earthquake weakens it, and human carelessness destroys it. Natural forces can create, and natural forces can destroy.

The forces of human nature are equally powerful. Out of love, we can create life. Out of rage, we can destroy life. Out of neglect, we can damage life. Out of caring, we can maintain life.

We are all connected to the ecology of the planet. That's a human commonality, according to Ernest Boyer. The reality is that some of us are more loosely connected than others. It's been more than a quarter of a century since we sloganized the anti-litter campaign with "Keep America Beautiful" posters, and still we have visible litter along city streets and highways. Out of carelessness, we litter. Out of carelessness, we senselessly destroy.

In the small college town where I live, the main street is, or to some extent may be, lined with young Bradford pear trees. One by one the trees have to be replaced as thoughtless pedestrians snap the trunks, perhaps playing Tarzan on late night jaunts through town. And even after repeated cleanup campaigns, the small creek that runs through our town continues to show visible traces of human carelessness.

Certainly we have been effective in regulating the industrial pollution of the environment, but we seem to have difficulty altering human behavior. Despite slogans, rewards, warnings, and punishments, pollution of the natural environment continues.

The pollution, however, is not always something that is left behind, such as the remains of a packaged meal, a discarded tire, an abandoned shopping cart, or a soda can. Sometimes the pollution is the result of poor planning, such as crowded developments, congested traffic patterns, over-stimulating signage, or unmaintained properties.

Economic conditions are sometimes a factor in the battle to keep America beautiful; social conditions are another. Indeed, education is an important factor. Perhaps our biggest obstacle to keeping America beautiful is the lack of a basic understanding of beauty, civic responsibility, and our connectedness with the ecology of the planet.

Through the study of art and visual culture, we can deal with issues of beauty in both the natural and human-made environment. We can observe, render, and photograph the beauty of natural forms as well as designed forms. We can document and respond to aesthetic pleasures as well as visual pollution. We can define our roles as responsible citizens in an ecosystem.

The articles in this back-to-school issue describe lessons and experiences that thoughtfully help students to connect with nature and the environment. As always, they reflect a variety of approaches to teaching that is typical of schooling today. Yet, they can all be powerful forces in keeping America beautiful.