What is nature?

I'm currently trying out yet another Future Learn course. This is on Environmental Humanities and is looking at how environmental issues are entangled with cultural issues - that science and the morals cannot be seen in isolation. It's complicated and some of it is a bit beyond me, but it is interesting and I'm sticking with it for the moment.

This week we are exploring the concept of 'nature' and an activity they have set us is to find six objects - any objects from anywhere. I picked these things up from the back of the house. Then we had to put them into two piles - natural and cultural. Obviously this is not easy, so a continuum was suggested - going from natural to cultural. A really interesting idea and certainly makes you think what you might understand about nature. The leaf is native to this country, so could be described as natural, but the bit of the Christmas tree? The plastic looks to be the most cultural, but it possibly had its origins in oil. Tricky. Gordon moved the rock to the far left because it was older - I don't think that was very helpful!
 
We can post our photos on the website, which I may or may not do. But it is fascinating seeing all the pictures and conclusions being posted from all over the world.