Changing people's relationship to their environment

Introduction and general events

At the beginning of the twenty-first century a large part of geographically bounded places have been remarked by a human activity. From some of them people disappeared long time ago and archaeological finds can be the only possible vestige of ancient residents. In large part of these places are people directly occurring at present, whether there are their homes, or various spheres of human interests. While in certain areas, people will appear in the future, for example, the Arctic Circle territories can be presented. However people are equally affected by the environment where they live and which surrounds them. Predominantly they are in contact with their home country. It provides them livelihoods, inspiration, shelter, work, etc. is linked with their lives.

People can sometimes lose natural ties to their environment. Since the industrial revolution a great fading away of nature, often replaced by functionally built urban structures, is concerned with lot of places. The emptiness, whose cause can be seen in the loss of natural links with the country, is then characteristic for inhabitants of these areas. Arts, culture, literature and all diverse specifics of democratic human society, can well replace the open landscape. But people here see the world created by them solely, stars and nature are too remote.

Besides the urban cites, globalisation also brings to human relationships to the home environment a great change with lots of specifics. We could say in general that human attention focuses more on remote sites and glaring colourful things. Travelling, work, electronic background, imported products, etc. already for a longer period of time affects the human relationship to their environment, which is well illustrated on the captured experience by German-Jewish poet Schivelbusch. "I feel as if the mountains and forests of all countries were advancing on Paris. Even now, I can smell the German linden trees; the North Sea's breakers are rolling against my door." Offered outlines largely shift out natural connections between people and their surroundings. During the conversation with the Finnish maritime engineer Allister I found although that deteritorialisation, links with distant places, remote people and different cultures, can also bring awareness of the significance of own environment.

Following parts of the case study will be devoted to interrelationship of people and landscape associated with Beskydy Protected Landscape Area - Beskids. I tried to offer a general view of the current situation by a comparison with long prevailing natural human approach to landscape and with others predominantly European regions. For a detailed specification and illustration, I also draw from own surveys and interviews with local residents.

Beskids Panorama

Beskids

History and culture

The area of the Beskids has been inhabited for a very long time. Approximately at the time of 4500 BC man already settle down there - during the geological periods of Epiatlantic and Atlantic. In the Beskidy region can be seen a lot of historical sites and preserved ancient wooden houses. For example the castle Roznov from the early 14th century, or Wallachian Open Air Museum beautifully displaying the wooden houses and the unique culture of the Beskids dwellers. General part of the current inhabitants can be identified by the word "Wallachians" associated with the area Wallachia overlapping the Beskidy mountains. Up to first half of the 20th century for a long time the ancient culture of local people had preserved in the Beskids, but since the forties of the 20th century was largely and forcibly suppressed. Characteristic for original culture of the Beskids are wooden houses, folk customs, handicrafts and traditional farming. Thanks to effort of local dwellers this unique culture can be still seen in a few places like Velke Karlovice or Velka Lhota villages.

Beskydy Protected Landscape Area and natural environment of this area

Beskydy Protected Landscape Area - Beskydy PLA - is protected landscape located over a large part of Outer Western Carpathians - thereinafter Beskids. It was created in the year 1973 and today protects over 1160 km2 of diverse landscape. Its priority is to protect the unique flora and fauna typical of Western Carpathians. Beskydy PLA to a certain extent participates in the area development. By various projects it endeavour to support traditional crafts, which include carpentry of wood, blacksmithing, weaving, glass industry, etc. and renaissance of natural land management. Overall, Beskydy PLA helps to preserve and inspirit the culture of ancient inhabitants. As essential can be seen predominantly strict architectural forms of allowed buildings in protected landscape, which help to design the picture of the Beskids. In certain parts, where we can classify forestry with restoration of devastated forests, and future perspective linked with support of the sustainable development of the Beskids, has Beskydy PLA a long road ahead.

Intrinsic for the Beskids is beautiful diverse nature very essential for people. Pure or through human interference saved in good form, preserved only in certain places, largely geographically difficult to access. In the original environment occurred primaeval forests largely composed of deciduous trees. Providing a suitable home for colourful and rare animals from owls to lynx. Coexistence between man and nature enabled a long-term interplay between organisms, which created the unique and precious landscape. Due to the human presence since the 12th century, especially during the time of large-scale industrialization of the area in the 19th century and the 20th century, original nature of the Beskids changed and edged away.

Current situation and the people's relationship to the Beskids environment

Today's picture of the Beskids is diverse and colourful. Short distances separate from each other very diverse locations. Wallachian Open Air Museum, from where it is a few steps to strictly protected beech forests, is about two kilometres from the industrial site in Roznov pod Radhostem. Primaeval nature in the Beskids mostly preserved in geographically isolated parts. People are not merely inhabitants of the environment at present, but became its architects as well. The relationship between man and the landscape has changed. With their today abilities can people reshape the whole picture of a landscape in a far greater extent than ever before. A considerable duty to the environment is linked with this ability. By the planting of Sessile Oak they would be able to shift the Beskids lowlands back to the balance, or by returning of extinct wolves back to nature to reinvigorate a large number of animals and help with the restoration of the original environment, for example. Although only certain people feel that their imagination and desires are sole boundaries for a better future of their home.

People's relationship to the landscape as well as their way of life greatly changed for better in the Beskids during the period of last twenty years. Democratization allowed remarkable "all-round development" and "opening" of the ordinary people to extraordinary things previously forbidden. It may be considered as the main cause of this great change. From variously important parts this transformation passes in the spirit of "convergence" of the Czech Republic to Western European countries, in personal as well as in regional development, etc. Better access to education, art, essential projects, and even to own family, are well-visible changes. All these things blend together and create everyday life texture with globalisation in the background, bringing along ever-present extensions and remote images, which seem to be far closer than they truly are. Scheuerman very well describes connection of globalisation with geographical distances in the general discourse on globalisation. "Geographical distance is typically measured in time. As the time necessary to connect distinct geographical locations is reduced, distance or space undergoes compression or “annihilation”." Further, today inherent changes has globalisation brought in travelling. Quickly increasing possibilities of travel directly affected people in Central Europe. Geographically distant sites drew closer and linked to each other in the last twenty years. Similar situations occurred nearly all over the world - very advanced in certain places, elsewhere will occur in the future. Difference can be seen in comparison of long democratic countries with post-communist or post-totalitarian countries. The travelling well illustrates one of globalisation specifics, which can very well bring the prosperity or harm a certain area.

At present it could not be said that generality of Beskids inhabitants, feel a warm relationship to its environment. People often keep a particular distance from nature and landscape, and take it rather as something traditional and not very interesting. Surely also the best part of people would not wish to harm the Beskids environment and with no degree be involved in its protection. The present situation may seem unsatisfactory, but in comparison of the Beskids appearance in the 90th of the twentieth century, in certain parts can be seen a great progress towards the sustainable development of the Beskids region and the restoration of disrupted nature. Globalisation can help to create a ligature between human and the land beneficial to each other as well as to break it. Social networks, which are able to detach the user from outside world or to bring him a requisite inspiration for the solution of problems occurring in his home, well present this difficulty. All depends on whether people can walk up by themselves and perceive the future by heart.

Period of the middle 20th century

People were far more linked with the Beskids in the half of the twentieth century than they are today. The reasons lies in traditional ties to land providing a livelihood to ordinary people, employments often linked with the Beskids region and people often worked in their surroundings. The absence of elements of today's globalisation is also significant. The Beskids with its inhabitants are still deeply affected by the forty years period of socialism and unitary planning. Traces can be well seen in the remaining caginess of inhabitants, and in necessary restoration of the environmentally friendly way of raw materials obtaining from the earth.

Fortieth and fiftieth years might be considered as a boundary, before which broader intact biotopes retained and globalisation was before its abrupt diffusion. In the second half of the twentieth century the largest devastation of nature in Wallachia and Beskids has occurred. Globalisation was not directly the cause, rather it was socialist planning and insensitive development of industry, agriculture, as well as lack of care for the countryside. Although certain damage to the Beskids landscape are older. Spruce trees planting began in the 17th century, unsuitable by its substance and architecturally wrong performed regulations of river Bečva and its tributaries, largely started in the 19th century. It is also essential to mention the long-term discharge of predators as well as other native animals in Beskids.

European regions

Changing people's relationship to their environment is largely caused by globalisation and occurs in the prevailing part of the world. From the African Tuareg culture affected by a wide spectrum of intruding "western world", to the French part of Quebec, where residents argue about the question of own identity in changing economic-cultural links with other Canadian territories, people come together with changes brought about by globalisation and with varied associated specifics.

The Beskids are similar to many European regions and equal issues often occur at local regions in post-communist as well as in long democratic European countries. The province of Cantabria in northern Spain along the Atlantic coast and certain parts of the neighbouring province of Asturias are with its situation very similar to Beskids region. Despite the rich historical and cultural heritage they are facing the long promoted centralized development and artificial links with the rest of Spain. The period of extensive globalisation changes directly followed the time of Franco regime here and lot of problems are still waiting to be solved. As well as in the Beskids it is the economic development not very sensitive to the environment and to the historical character of regions, and the required restoration of a traditional connection of people to the landscape.

Globalisation brings along not only problems for local regions. In the Hohe Tauern were people partially successful in linking the traditional background of the region with developing winter ski tourism. To certain places globalisation brings a lot of sources and if people are able to use them for their true benefit, it will help their own culture as well as their environment.

An alternative for the general approach is possible to be found in the solution originated from south-eastern Austrian border region Styrian Vulkanland. For a long time, this area was tainted the border location. Residents however succeeded in the establishment of long-life sustainable projects that supports specific things for the region - for example culinary, handicraft and culture tourism. Styrian Vulkanland concentrates on sustainable development and the creation of consciousness of own uniqueness. People were able to economically and culturally develop the declined boarder region without the reliance on foreign investors and financial supply from remote locations.

Beskids inhabitants

I decided to picture the current inhabitant's view of Beskids to capture the ordinary people's relationship to their environment. Following parts generally describe their links with the Beskids. Self-survey had the form of interviews with the Beskids inhabitants and took place in February 2011.

Julie Vlckova

Year of Birth: 1937

Current home: Valasske Mezirici

Julie Vlckova was born in Novosedly, a village near the Czech-Austrian border. Her parents were from geographically and culturally different territories - Prerov and South Moravian Czech-Austrian border. During childhood her parents moved very often up to the year 1956. At that time when she was finishing the studies at school, she moved to Valasske Mezirici where she still lives. Part of her family was shifted to Austria and Germany in the years 1945 and 1946, for the political situation in post-war Czechoslovakia meetings of each other were disallowed. Found home and work in the economic sector in the Beskids were therefore for Ms. Vlckova especially important. With her husband Mr. Vlcek they successfully passed a difficult communistic period of Czechoslovakia. Ms. Julie Vlckova has been for a long time interested in nature, biology, literature and after the democratization of Czechoslovakia often travels across foreign countries.

For the Beskids are essential traditional ties of their dwellers to natural environment. At Ms. Vlckova these are care for a garden and cultivation of own fruit and vegetables, trees planting and herbs gathering. People get with small things connected for the bilateral benefit to the landscape.

Relation to the Beskids: Purport of home and their environment provides her a rest and is unique by the beautiful nature. Preservation of the traditional picture of the Beskids through own products cultivation, tree planting and adherence to cultural practices.

Ladislav Vlcek

Year of Birth: 1929

Current home: Valasske Mezirici

Ladislav Vlcek lived in childhood in the village of Podlesi, located near Valasske Mezirici. He moved in 1947 with his parents, who originate from the Beskydy - the village of Hukvaldy and the village of Jarcova, to Valasske Mezirici and still live there. Despite the difficult postwar period he successfully learned the confectionery in 1949. Mr. Vlcek predominantly self-built cottage near the village of Bystricka in the 70th years. Cottage was over the situation and the position with the building at that time, constructed in accordance with basic principles of sustainable architecture, with the use of primarily local resources and by the respecting of natural landscape character. Mr. Vlcek for a long time artistically carved wood and flew in the sail plane aircraft "gliders" in the local aero club.

Connection with the Beskids: Ladislav Vlcek lived a lifetime in the Beskids region. At a time when almost no person talked about a green building, he succeeded in the building of the cottage according to its fundamental principles. By artistically carving of wood, sail plane aviation and with a lot of other colourful activities he promotes the Beskids cultural and social side.

Martina Novosadova

Year of Birth: 1991

Current home: Mala Bystrice

Martina Novosadova was born in the village of Valasska Bystrice and presently live in the village of Mala Bystrice, both villages are in Vsetinske vrchy mountains. Her parents are originally from the Beskids. She likes travelling and finds the environment around her home located in the PLA Beskydy considerable for her. She collects forest berries and herbs there, grow fruit and in the winter care of forest animals. At present Martina Novosadova study at university in Prague, where she stay for most of her time. She would like to go back to Wallachia after graduation.

Looking at the Beskydy region and Prague, places differently affected by the globalisation can be compared. People are leaving for a long period of time "peripheral" and in a globalized world "less attractive"regions, to large urban cities. Between the Beskids and Prague can be seen similar ties.

Relation to the Beskids: Versatile links with nature around her home. Despite the current study in Prague and her favour in travelling and distant lands exploring, she would like to return to the Beskids.

Danek Cab

Year of Birth: 1989

Current home: Velka Lhota

Danek Cab live since his birth in Velka Lhota - a highly located village in the upland near Valasske Mezirici. His parents originate from the Beskids. He study a technically oriented field and is a member of the association of volunteer firemen. Due to broad tourism he very well orientates in primarily wooded terrain in geographically and culturally bounded local region of Velka Lhota. Danek Cab casually care about events in the village of Velka Lhota and the area surrounding Valasske Mezirici. As a long prevailing problem he consider a difficult access to the European or state subsidies for the village, and the need of restoration of natural appearance of land associated with the traditional architecture appropriate to Wallachia.

Relation to the Beskids: Effort to a good orientation in the landscape around his home and its restoration. Appreciates Velka Lhota local region for its unique environment and considers it as a home.

Conclusion

After the mid of 20th century people's relationship to their environment changed in the best part of the world. Original intact people's relationship to the landscape nearly disappeared in certain places. At most "territories of the northern hemisphere" is still maintained solely due to a foreseeing people and ancient culture. Although it is possible to encounter a surprising deepening of this bilateral connection of people and their environment from time to time - situation of the Austrian border region Styrian Vulkanland. Human activities could be for nature of high significance. People's relationship to the environment determines their effect on it. Possible change of this relationship will inevitably affect the landscape and its inhabitants. Virtually it does not matter too much whether in background of change is globalisation, even though that carries countless diverse specificities as loss of biodiversity, deteritorialisation, human time blur and suppression of geographically separated field's exceptionalities. It is us who literally decide about the future. Like an architect who indeed design the appearance of proposed house, not a software program.

The Beskids are specific by well visible difference between 40th years and today's period. People were far more linked with their environment in the first half of 20th century. At present the links are for the best part of dwellers rather subconscious and often viewed as "antiquated". But in a picture of current Beskids inhabitants also appeared a good and so needed links to nature and culture of Wallachia, delivering due to remarkable and well educated people a promising way forward. Light at times shines in a direction where we would expect it at least. In the case of areas like the Beskids is necessary to go back to ancient culture, nature, history and its own uniqueness. Local regions can after be supportive of people and deliver better sensitive future.