A recently published academic article examines “exosexuals’ encounters with the natural environment.”

In a new academic piece published in the journal Feminist Theory, Professor Lauran Whitworth of St. Mary’s College of Maryland defines the increasingly popular term “ecosexual.”

“1. A person that finds nature sensual, sexy. 2. A new sexual identity. 3: Person who takes the Earth as their lover,” she wrote. In another paragraph, Whitworth explains that while some environmentalists encourage the use of environmentally-friendly sex products such as fair trade condoms and chemical-free lubricants, “ecosexuals” take it a step further by encouraging sex with “nature itself.”

Whitworth includes a description of one “ecosexual” individual’s first sexual encounter with a redwood tree at Yosemite National Park.

In the spirit of carnival, ecosexuality embraces degradation and decomposition. Sprinkle describes her first encounter with redwood trees at Yosemite National Park: ‘I loved the scent of the trunk, like vanilla mixed with soil. I have a strong memory of coming across a redwood that had fallen over from a storm. I walked around off the trail and peeked at its freshly exposed roots. So soft, so sensuous, so sexy! I had to touch them.’

In a particularly bizarre portion of the piece, Whitworth writes about how defecating outside is a form of “ecosexuality.” According to her, “ecosexuality celebrates the carnal and grotesque, particularly in some of its campiest moments.”

Breitbart News has reported on “ecosexuals” throughout their rise in popularity in feminist circles. In November 2016, Breitbart News reported that “ecosexuals” were masturbating under waterfalls and trees to save the planet. In September 2017, Breitbart News reported that a UC Santa Cruz professor was encouraging her students to have sex with the earth in order to preserve it. In April 2018, Breitbart News reported on a University of Michigan professor that wrote about the importance of “talking erotically to plants.”