“Sense of place” is a phrase used by social scientists to describe the deep emotional connection that people have toward a place. It can also describe a place that engenders an identity or characteristics deeply felt by people. When we have a sense of place, we naturally work hard to preserve that place. As our planet moves through the Anthropocene, experiencing not only the innate trends and cycles of nature but also the trends and cycles caused by human actions, we may notice that some characteristics that have defined our special places are changing, making parts of our world unfamiliar. It may be these observations that cause us to look up, take account, and make changes. We might also coin the phrase “a sense of time” to describe our connection to the uniqueness of our present experiences, while appreciating that comparable scenarios may have occurred in the past and recognizing the implications of our present course on future scenarios.

Roesler, C.S. 2016. Polar oceanography: Engendering students with a sense of place and a sense of time. Oceanography 29(2):293–295, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2016.29.

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