Nature and culture intertwine in any space where humans are present. One of the most prominent ways to examine this is to look at who uses the natural space and for what purpose. Centennial woods is a conserved area and reflects cultural values of preserving nature for its value as a resource for recreation and beauty. Additionally, who is excluded from a space is culturally indicative. Centennial woods is located in the ancestral lands of the Abenaki people but they no longer have access to this piece of land as a home or for resources which reflects the racist systems of power in this society.
I am absolutely a part of this place. Every time I visit I leave an impact on the vegetation with my footsteps breaking twigs and crushing leaves. I impact the wildlife in their fear of me as a potential threat. Furthermore, my actions beyond my visits impact this site. I have a carbon footprint that may be small in comparison to the total carbon emissions but it still contributes to climate change. To see myself as separate from this ecosystem would be ignoring the impacts I have on it and others around me and it would ignore the love I have for this place.