Essay - Thoreau Was a Student of Nature for Virtually all of...

Thoreau was a student of nature for virtually all of his adult life. During Thoreau's life, Cape Cod was a relatively unspoiled area rich with ***** and people who worked closely in nature, such as farmers and fishermen. Those who lived on Cape ***** tended to be independent sorts, and Thoreau preferred their company ***** those of ***** engaged in commerce or other bus*****ess-related occupati*****s.

***** his small book Cape Cod, Thoreau recounts his experiences on walking excursi*****s around Cape Cod during the mid 1800's. In the process he described much about the ***** nature present throughout the Cape at th***** time.

In ***** opening chapter Thoreau talks about the ecology of living along ***** ocean: in the midst of a desperate sight - ***** wreck ***** a bo*****t loaded with immigrants, most of *****m drowned, he saw people gathering seaweed to use as fertilizer. The seaweed had been tossed up on the shore by the same storm that sank the ship. Thoreau valued such practical use ***** what nature ***** to offer.

His unusual perspective about both people ***** nature is revealed in t***** sentence: "I sympathized rather with the w*****ds and waves, ***** if ***** toss and mangle these poor human bodies was the order of ***** day. If this was the law ***** Nature, why waste any ***** in awe or pity?" ***** statement seems *****sensitive but reveals his deep love of nature in all its f*****ms.

Throughout the book, Thoreau notes things that we would celebrate today, such as exceptionally clean water. He describes swimming in such ***** with great delight, and comments on the fish he can see clearly swimm*****g around ***** feet. This suggests that ***** *****re more bountiful then than now, as well as the water cleaner. He also notes the thorn-apple growing ***** ***** edges of a ***** isl*****, suggesting an ecological balance, with the plant helping fight the erosi***** of the little island.

As Thoreau begins the walking portion of his trip, he describes t***** effec*****s of the environment - a sand bar thrust out into the ocean - on ***** plants ***** the area. He describes the ***** as barren, ***** few trees except for occasional isolated trees and apple groves. He notes how the windswept ***** of the land affected development of the trees. M***** had flat tops or branched from very low on the ground, suggesting that the trees had adapted to ***** danger of the fierce storms by reshaping *****mselves. No doubt pruning ***** ***** affected ***** *****. ***** described these events as "habits of growth." He noted that ***** groves on the Cape had trees no taller than a man, with no ladders needed to pick the apples. Presumably t***** demonstrates some natural selection. It seems unlikely that the settlers planted only apple trees. Instead, it seems possible ***** apple ***** adapted best to the ***** of Cape Cod. Later in his book he notes ot*****r trees that grow smaller than they do on the mainland