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Follow links for a more in-depth look at each word's origins and images. (In-depth pages are in progress and still being added!)

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A

absentshaping : the result of a lack of conditions needed to sustain the form of an established environmental element

act of man : an extraordinary weather event generated by the impact of human activity on the earth’s biosphere

aerogerms : microbes that travel rapidly via airplane, exponentially increasing world-wide epidemic outbreaks

ananimesia : the disconnect and hypocrisy of loving animals and then sitting down to a big meal of animal meats

anatierra : the way children are connected to the earth, and naturally enter into a state of being muddy

anarboralgia : loss of concentration due to lack of exposure to views of trees through windows

anaudid : when you're so used to traffic noise and then you hear silence and it's strange

aniguy : an animal dressing up as a person so it can go grocery shopping

animicious : the accuracy with which a candy animal represents the animal after which it is fashioned

annata : a gathering of foraging enthusiasts

anthroplunder : repurposing of human detritus by the animal kingdom

anthropnest : an animal nest constructed with human-made fibers

anthropodenial : "the a priori rejection of humanlike traits in other animals or animallike traits in us." Frans de Vaal, NYTimes, April 2016

appleundance : an apple orchard that is full at harvest time

april dregs : garbage left behind after snow melt

aquarie : the healing effect one experiences when exposed to a body of water

arbormunch : when a tree grows to engulf a statue or sculpture

arborphoria : the benficial effect of looking at trees on mood and mental performance

audid : sensitivity of the ears when someone who lives near a forest arrives in a city

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B

barge bums : barnacles living on the side of a boat

bark swallow  : a tree growing over signs and fences

batcat : a creature that flies and runs in the garden

bearmance : a good bear-human encounter or relationship

belandering : hiking on rocky terrain in innappropriate footwear

birchhart : painting on bark

bitterchoke : damage done to vegetation by the invasive vine Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)

bodhisizing : when a group of people resonate or communicate in a way that transcends language or words

bouncybites : when a crow (eating) hops out of the road as a car passes by

brames : when weeds and moss grow around bricks and makes a frame

brick hawk : a hawk that builds its natural habitat on a brick building

bubblescum : the brownish bubbles occurring in sea foam that has been polluted with excess nitrogen runoff

bugicide : insects that get caught in between the clear glass & the screen and eventually die

bunrunzen : the feeling of euphoria after running along the Boston Harbor in the sunshine in the early morning while stretching and doing yoga in the Airport Edge Buffer Park, while bunnies feed on the sweet grass watered by the 7am sprinklers, and the birds flit about as well

burpkle : sound of boots crackling through the ice layer on snow

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C

candefic nex : a human-made substance unintentionally ingested by an animal which then becomes deadly. As bleach or oil.

carnamity : the bond between humans and animals who eat meat

cartographic cryptography : limiting human access to fragile natural attractions through obscuring or falsifying maps

chipeying : looking at chipmunks run while lying on the ground, at eye-level with the chipmunks

chiprooting : when chipmunks burrow down to gnaw at the roots of newly-planted perennials and shrubs

churum : a creature that lives exclusively in urban puddles

cicaphony : the shock to the ears at coming out of the house and hearing the cacophony of cicadas

cinevacation : the view of the landscape through a car window on a long road trip

cleat mulch : goose poop on an athletic playing field

coal cloud : a coal plant that powers "the cloud" server storage space

congraduation : the happy celebratory union of nature with the soul of the self. The connection!

cornquash : a "volunteer" squash that comes up out of your compost pile

coywolf toy : a toy that a coywolf takes from a neighborhood dog's yard and gives to its pups

crackleware : a form of eating or serving utensil formed with play doh, dried, hardened, for use by an adult or child with which organic food may be consumed

crazy pig : a pig being crazy, he will not listen to teacher, he wanna be crazy all the time

creature cure : when a veterinarian cures an animal

crowbutter : crows trained to clean up cigarette butts

crowdpathing : Extra paths that people make in parks. Sometimes they are just shortcuts across lawns between paved paths.

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D

dauthus plasticus : death by plastic ingestion

decycling : the process of something being turned back into its elemental nature

deersect : when deer intersect with your walking path

digital jungle : the way in which nature is becoming more an engineered object and technology is becoming more complex, more like nature (Danny Hillis)

directree : when a tree grows to engulf a street sign

Disney's Law of Evolution : the process by which animals found cute by humans experience population growth and habitat protection

dissimumeat : pretending that the animals you're eating aren't animals

dogexposium : leaving dog droppings exposed on the sidewalk for humans to walk by with disdain of a natural process, creating an adversarial relationship between two living beings because of laziness and apathy by the human, often done without thought

dominature : when the trunk of a tree overcomes the forged steel of a yard fence

dove slop : trash eaten by pigeons

drain-glo : when gasoline-soaked water sowly rotates in a street drain and exhibits a colorful sheen

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E

ecoempathy : a dispersed ecological empathy; we can understand one part of ecology better than all the parts; we can work to understand one element and, with that understanding, expand/disperse our empathy

effinfluence : in engineering, the consideration of the additive effects of human and non-human contributions to a system. Used usually in sewage planning and construction

enscorcle : the act by an animal or bird of incorporating a human-made substance into a nest, den, or other object

envirolexicide : the act of removing from a dictionary a word that describes something in nature

enviro-war : when nature fights against a human action

experimint : the act over time of figuring out what's edible

extrolvainmeulaya : when a human rides three different mules through a desert, mountains, and a forest

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F

faktractive : the way that fake objects are sometimes more attractive than real ones, as stones, jewels, breasts

false first : a narrative that promotes group or individual as being the first to discover a natural or wild setting, when, in truth, the area was known by indigenous people long before

fauxtotropism : a plant that grows towards artificial light, or light reflected by a mirrored building

felinetuary : home for a cat that is afraid to go back into nature after being brought in from outside

fence-burl : chunk of tree trunk or branches remaining on a chain link fence after the rest has been cut away

fermuricycle : drinking, while urinating, while leaning against a tree

filthtration : water that becomes polluted when filtering through layers of city ground-covering, rather than purified when filtered through soil

fip : a droplet of water that runs down your face and rests on the tip of your nose or the tip of your chin

fishluv : the curiosity, affinity, and anxiety that seals and people have for each other when playing in the surf

flaricious : the smell of a fresh potted plant or fresh cut flowers in a dark and dingy apartment

fleurbinding : the pressing of flowers into a notebook or journal for safekeeping

flibbing : saying the ingredients of a food are "all-natural"

florafaux : fake plants

florad : using plants in advertising

floral confusion : when you mistake a real plant for a fake plant

florapportunist : weeds growing out of cracks in sidewalk, as in purslane or dandelion

florasy : using real or fake flora to conceal or improve the appearance of a human-made object

florisson : a physical sensation attendant on an experience in, or related to, the natural world

follyage : fun with plants

frondlebath : the way the color of new leaves highlight the patina on a bronze statue in the spring

fruit-gnome : an animal who eats your garden fruits/veggies

furrysnack : a squirrel eating from a trash can

fwater : food and water are both essential to human and animal survival; food for humans requires water to produce

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G

gallerarium : using the gallery space as an aquarium or terrarium for human enjoyment of another environment

garden thug : not a habitat invader, a plant that has growing and reproductive features making it too aggressive in the home landscape

gentillication : connecting with wildness by creating gentleness out of fierceness

ghost hall : the structure left behind inside an abandoned mineshaft

giddy go : the feeling you get on a beautiful day

glasp : the moment just before an animal realizes your vehicle is too close and runs or flies out of the way

gobsprout : to generate new words and otherwise fiddle with language

gold dust : coating of pollen on outdoor objects and infrastructure

grass scream : the smell of grass freshly cut by humans

gravenant : a man-made material being reabsorbed by a tree, rock, or dirt

gravening : tree bark wrapping around a man-made material, e.g. the remnant of a wire once used to hang a wind-chime or bird-feeder, barbed wire a plastic cord

gravlexis : the set of words which only exist because of gravity, such as: up, heavy, waterfall, perpendicular

greckle : the sense of relief felt after stepping onto grass when previously walking on pavement.

greenfluence : green spaces are more numerous in affluent areas

grussets : matted clumps of dead, dry grass blown or strewn onto sidewalks as a result of suburban lawn mowing

gurstacle : a large animal, like a moose or a deer, that's standing on the side of a highway you're driving on

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H

hasaural : a beetle existing as a gear

heap what you throw : creating mountains of garbage

heir conditioning : turning on the air conditioning so you can use the fireplace in the summer

high bunk : a bird's nest on a tall building

hobonimal : an animal that inhabits a car that you don't use

hominal conflagration: wild fires caused by matches

hoop sag : how car tires get flat when the weather gets colder

horsicle : a popsicle shaped like a horse

hoseawry : (pronounced haz-or-i) the lawn indentation resulting from lazily leaving the hose sprawled there after watering. Any resemblance to the Yiddish homophone "chazeri"(snack foods used for "pigging out") is purely coincidental

hubcap lap : the way an animal runs from car traffic, darting

human work : a structure you come across in the woods that could only have been made by a human

humanimal : when humans and animals co-exist peacefully

humanimal-baloo : a waltz between a human and an animal. animals and humans having a dance party

humature : the human next generation feeds live animals, grows plants, and the cycle keeps going on and on

humvasion : the natural inclination of humans to take and overrun nature

husband husbandry : when you ask your husband to water your houseplants while you are away

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I

IBSE : Illegal Bird Seed Eating

illhumanation : the moment when you realize that humans and all of human activity and products and concepts are part of nature

interspacialization : catching a glimpse (of space) between buildings or crowds of people so suddenly that you are not only here where you are physically, but also there, to the limit of your vision, as well as everywhere in between

ivy army : ivy climbing over whatever's in its path

ivypike : a type of ultra-free climbing which mimics the slow, steady, and un-stopping cast and grasp that ivy makes in gripping its way from surface to surface by tentacle

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J

jisalagshimi : the sadness and fatigue felt when leaving loved ones behind in a far away land

jund : edible, digestible substances that provide zero nutritional value

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K

kailcronshinack : a game that's played in a wave pool with questions that are answered under water with a microphone, recorded, and then answers will be in colors that mentally challenged people create stories from

kellid : the feeling you get when the structure you're in shutters violently due to extreme weather happening outside

killit : a group of wild turkeys walking around a city neighborhood at Thanksgiving time

kidree : the interaction of a child in a tree

kinderpluck : the instinctive grasping and picking of plant material, especially flowers, by children aged twelve months to 7-8 years

krulshi : when a tree grows through a wire fence

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L

leaf shunting : where people use leaf blowers to get leaves off their own property, and blow them on to other people's property

leafching : crisp crunch sound made when walking on dried leaves

lightastic : when natural light reflects off of plastic

lionhume : the way that lions and people both eat meat

log zap : a tree that has fallen on a power line

lumentis : my daily practice of watching the light change throughout the day

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M

maliptution : an inability or shame in communicating your natural self

Mamalite : plastic synthesized from human breast milk (see Slow Plastic)

mandrich : the willful ignorance of man-made catastrophe

mary-ding : dent in a car made by hail

melt-down break : a genetic mutation in a plant or animal caused by nuclear power plant disaster

metrocones : stalagmites and stalactites in a subway system

mibbling : when ants eat food in a driveway

Milkaline : plastic synthesized at home from milk (see Slow Plastic)

mistaken trash can : litter thrown in flower pots

moshnoshing : when a vegan is eaten by another animal

mortarivy : ivy holding brick walls in place

mulch volcano : the unhealthy practice of mounding too much mulch up and around a tree trunk. This can kill the surface roots, harming, and even killing the tree

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N

natfeel : when a human experiences anything in nature by any method - or - any human experience with/in/about/related to nature - or - the quality of being like natfeel

natspeak : when a human makes any sound or gesture to imitate any sound in nature - or - the sound a human makes when they natspeak - or - any sound or gesture made by a human that is like natspeak

natview : when a human looks at anything in nature - or - any picture/image or any other representation of anything in nature - or - anything that reminds a human of a natview - or - the quality of being like a natview

nativeplantster : an individual who is very interested in indigenous flora

nature deficit disorder : what happens to children when they have limited access to the outdoors

naturgeist : the spirit or ghost of what lived on this ground before we arrived

nomencreekture : the process of naming a creek

non-interspacialization : what happens when the state of interspacialization ends

noseeweed : when you can't see but only feel the slimy, slippery seaweed beneath your feet and grazing your calves

nutdrop : when a squirrel drops an acorn on a person's head

nutnick : dent in a car made by a falling acorn

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No Characters

this word has no characters : when human intervention in nature reaches a tipping point where the earth is destroyed and all life with it

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O

obserphoria : the feeling of joy produced by sighting a wild animal in its habitat

oceawe : the feeling one gets from looking out at the ocean of awe and oneness with the world

origin amnesia : sense of separateness from the star dust we're made of. You are a product of thousands of loves. your one-celled elders. see also: unicellular estrangement

other air : air that arrives to your living or workspace inside inflatable packing material

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P

palabractivist : a person whose form of activism changes language and by extension the way people think

pan-nature : all of nature including animals, plants, and humans and the objects and results of animal, plant, and human activity

petrol mortis : corpse of an animal killed by oil spill

pheeze : the feeling of relief when it is realized that an insect or arachnid is indeed on the opposite side of a pane of glass from the viewer

phoenicate : to rise from the ashes of hoped-for outcomes

photolith : the visual gravity experienced by humans when they connect with a view of the water

plickles : (or plicks) tiny wet pebbles on the bottom of shoes that got tracked into the house

pligid : an insect that gets accidentally embedded in candle wax

plander : people call all kinds of indigenous plants weeds because they don't want them in their garden

plant blindness : inability to notice plants and their features because of lack of access and attention

plantaholic : a gardener who can never say no to a gift of cuttings or garden plants

plasmat : a mixture of garbage, leaves and dirt forming a mat on the ground

plasticassassina : a person who works to fight the threat and dangers of plastic in the environment

plocean : the amount of plastic in the ocean

podpocket : what happens when you put milkweed pods in your pocket!

poly fish : the plastic overtaking the ocean and resembling fish to predators

polyflor : a discarded plastic bag on natural ground, dirt, or plants

polypotent : the ability of synthetic materials to drive the development of life-generation growth

pollenaise : malaise due to dancing pollen

prededeath : when a predator is hit by a moving vehicle

prismus lacu : rainbow sheen of oil on water

prosthetic irony : when an animal loses a limb due to human industrial activity, and is outfitted with an artificial limb

puppy coddling : treating a pet as if it were a human baby

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Q

quizzect : feeling unsure as to whether an insect or arachnid is sitting on the inside or outside of a window pane

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R

rainbow water : the iridescent appearance of water when combined with oil

reanimalia : animals living in abandoned vehicles or buildings

reefsular : of or pertaining to the layer of a coral reef that holds in heat

re-faunafication : when plants start to grow through crumbling or old building foundations

roadwort : ivy on traffic lights and signs

rodent rabble : disorderly mob of mice and squirrels

root-kilter : a slab of sidewalk forced out of place by a growing tree root

rowhome-inator : when bees come into the city to pollinate using window-box flowers

rubbish kill : animal death from ingesting human garbage

rumbleduster : a cathedral in the woods that only exists when people are in it

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S

salight : the bouyancy that we feel when swimming in salt water

sandance : trotting/hopping/skipping over sand when it has been overexposed to sun, causing a drastic hike in temperature

sandaltan : the tanning of one's feet when wearing sandals

saver culture : a lifestyle of conscious, sustainable use of materials and objects, in opposition to consumer culture

scatalot : poop bags for city parks

schpleckwat : heavy rainwater that gathers in trash barrels or recycling bins

schpleckwattage : wet recycling or trash that collects in a recycling bin or trash can that's full of water

sciuridae : skittering sound of squirrels running in the rain gutter

screenaxed : the way trees look on video

seagull-steal : when seagulls steal your food!

sispa : the feeling you get when you're surrounded by flowers in a field, no sounds but the wind, and all you can see is nature and sky

skreek : the sound made when a branch scrapes against the side of a building

slow plastic : a movement of people synthesizing plastic and plastic objects from food and other non-toxic, biodegradable ingredients, to reclaim an awareness of and responsibility for plastic production and use

snowch : when a snake climbs up a sewer into a toilet and bites someone

snowclone: a twisting snowstorm in the southern hemisphere

snowfelled : early spring garden flowers toppled by snow

solastalgia : "people's emotional distress when their home landscapes become unrecognizeable through environmental change"

solsquint : the involuntary facial reaction (humans) have to coming from darkness into light (sun).

soopulicity : when the boundaries between one's body and the landscape blur

soulsquint : a feeling that is similar to solsquint, but more encompassing

sootwhistle : asthma caused by smog

spamm : when an animal ingests inorganic human-manufactured waste that can't be digested

spectrum of influence: the spectrum whose poles are: no human influence (untrammeled wilderness) to all human influence (fully manufactured cityscape)

spravida : the sensation on the skin after diving into cold ocean water and then standing in the sun while in the water

squalktalk : sound made (regularly) by pet birds seeking conversation with oblivious human owners

station-weed : weeds growing in an underground subway station with minimal water and light sources

sticky rime : frost on a car windshield that's hard to wipe off

stuckwood : tree that has grown through a metal chain link fence

stumpture : tree stumps left after trees are cut down along the sidewalk

suburbatopia : the perception that living in close proximity brings about a euphoric sense of community; (mostly a mis-perception)

suckerprint : the visual traces of a vine left on a wall after the vine is removed

sunhiccup : the moment when clouds cover the sun causing a temporary dimness

sunscream : the sound produced when sunscreen is applied to a 4-year old at the beach

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T

terramour : Today was so wonderful. I smelled the air: moisture emanating up from the earth through mud and soft soil, meeting the wafts of fragrant first blossoms someplace about chest height, very subtle, augmented by the very merry birdsong. What do I call that? Terramour. Love the earth.

terre-loose : earth that shows signs of erosion from exposure to high tides caused by global warming or climate change

the entanglement : the way in which nature and technology are becoming more and more entangled, the distinction between the two is becoming meaningless (Danny Hillis)

the murks : feeling of unwellness produced in city residents by high levels of smog

the whole anthill : the whole earth as a site of human activity

third-floor visitor : plastic bag stuck and billowing in the branches of a tree

timbercake : property squashed under a fallen tree in extreme weather

timberrupter : a branch or tree that pulls down an electrical wire and knocks out your electricity

track-flaque : rain puddles in a road

trackishness : a cat being greedy for your attention and love

transatmosphobia : worry about climate change

trashinate : when an animal digs up trash

treavered : how a tree is when it has been chewed due to beaver damage

treevee : where trees are trimmed to accomodate telephone wires

tuarne : the act of putting nature in a museum in order to experience nature

twisteraction : the slow bending and curling of branches in response to the sound of chainsaws in the morning

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U

unicellular estrangement : sense of separateness from the star dust we're made of. You are a product of thousands of loves. your one-celled elders. see also: origin amnesia

Universal Declaration of Earth Rights : a resolution proposed for adoption by the United Nations General Assembly insuring the fundamental, inalienable rights of the earth and its resources

unsettling the veil : the way an airplane changes the shape of a cloud as it moves through it

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V

vertarbolness : lung-fulls of fresh air and connectedness, the feeling and emotion of being next to or surrounded by trees

volksunder : lying about your emissions standards

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W

watercure : the healing effect one experiences as a result of being exposed to a body of water

waveling : first step in cold water at the water’s edge where there are waves

whifadat : when you notice the odor of a skunk outside your house

wiggle waddle butt : when your dog gets really excited and shakes his/her butt

woodmeal : a meal made of all foraged foods from the woods

wormalizing : digging in the soil and discovering wriggling surprises

wuffer n

wildernize : to promote the idea that parts of the biosphere still exist which are "wild" or "untrammeled" and unaffected by humans. Such as in the IMAX® BBC documentary Wild Africa.

windsewn : when a tornado hurtles through the plains and uproots trees and buildings and wraps them into and through other objects

wet blaze : electrical fire caused by a rainstorm shorting the electricity in a building

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X

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Y

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Z

zooicide : when an animal or human is killed during an encounter at a zoo

zygoat : animals born from artificial insemination