The Naturalists Progress essays

The Naturalist's Progress essays This article was one that used the array of exotic plants and animals to show humankinds narrow-minded approach to the observations made in our world. It displayed our shallow approach in environmental education that the whole of that species has to be appreciated as opposed to individual parts. The author illustrated this with the Paradisea apoda the footless bird of paradise; which is commonly known as the Toucan. As stated in the article the natives on New Guinea saw this magnificent bird as an aesthetically beautiful creature too and gave it to the first Europeans who visited their land. The only thing was that the beauty that the natives saw was in the plumage of the bird and removed the feet thus bringing forth the name. The author also brought forth that fact that when children and amateurs collect flowers that they collect the buds of the flower, not including the roots and stems. These characteristics in both the Toucan and the flowers/herbs can show us that by not studying the whole of the specimen that there is a limitation on what you can find out about the creature. Therefore making it harder to observe these different species. When observing one must ask questions like why is the beak of a Toucan so colorful? Why is the beak so long? How does the Tou can perch on a branch? In conclusion without studying the whole, we are just swimming in a kiddy pool of life never going to the deep end to explore a more in-depth view. Without asking everything we can about a creature then we may never be able to explore the full aspects of a creature. Without the whole we only have part of the answers. ...