What is Nature?

What is nature? I've been asking this question of people who have attended word-coinings for the Human Nature Dictionary. Here are some answers to date:

• It varies from culture to culture
• Woods, wildness
• A destination, a vacation spot
• Something we learn about in museums
• Something we didn’t make
• Smells
• Unpredictable
• Great sweeping forest
• Ocean, rocks, trees, mountains (maybe man, but not really)
• Growing things vs. static things
• Parks and urban gardens in a city
• Mediated by language (I was a suburban child)
• I grew up in the country, nature was all around
• Not controllable, just is
• Emotional association of being outside, exposed, buffeted by wind and waves
• Nature encyclopedia
• Ant farm in school
• Open air
• Being able to breathe and relax
• Living things
• Untouched by humans
• Undeveloped
• Something that's a combination of things that are elemental, basic
• As a child: everything that was studiable
• Trees
• An integral part of my body and soul
• Processes like cell division, entropy