Strange Days on Planet Earth

We are basically all one species relying upon one another, and the role each
plays, for survival. This is what is meant by the circle of life whereby
smaller organisms, plants, and animals depend upon other bigger animals for
their own survival. Humans are included in this equation too, but I think
sometimes people have a tendency to forget just how much we need plants and
animals around for our own health and survival.

There’s a delicate balance at play, and over time species begin to die out
once this balance is disturbed. The video evidenced this by the disappearance
of the wolves from Yellowstone and it’s effects. The wolf was once a top
predator of the elk, but once people pretty much drove the wolves into
extinction the elk began to over eat all the plants. This occurred because the
elk no longer had any predators and naturally over-populated and ate until the
landscape turned baron. In effect, the ecosystem was thrown off balance and
once the food sources were gone so too were the animals that once lived there.
What had been determined was that there’s a link between the absence of wolves
and the absence of trees. Once people got the idea to bring the wolves back
then the trees began to grow again.

Among other top predators are bears, tigers, whales, and groupers. In
particular, groupers are linked to the coral reefs and play an important role
in the ecosystem of corals. When their numbers decline it contributes to the
destruction of the reefs. When smaller fish rampantly deplete the coral, other
sea animals that depend upon the coral will no longer have a food supply.
Over-fishing by fishermen are mostly to blame, but they’re not entirely to
blame, because If people didn’t care to eat so many fish then there wouldn’t
be so many people fishing for them. Yet, in a world that’s driven by the
dollar, these things go unnoticed until people become aware and seek to make
laws aimed at protecting our animals. It should not take extinction or a
catastrophe to realize that changes should be made.

In closing, though we might not be able to live with predators, we certainly
won’t be able to live without them.

Sense of Place

I've only lived in two states my entire life. Two very different states that are on opposite coasts: California and Florida.

When I first moved to Florida some of the first things I noticed about it was that it was very hot, dry, people looked orange, it's flat, beaches, bugs, and strange animals. It was quite a drastic contrast to compared to Northern California where people are pale, the weather is cool, there are mountains, and not many pesty bugs.

At first I didn't think that I would be able to find anything to enjoy about living here in Florida. Mostly because the tempo was different. I got used to a fast-paced, cemented environment with buildings everywhere. Afterall, I was used to being a city slicker and thought it was fun to navigate my way through the concrete jungle whenever I happened to be in the "big city" (San Francisco).

Things in Florida were just way too different. When I slept at night I could actually hear crickets, and not the sound of the Cal-Train thundering by.

Now that it has been several years later and I am still in SW Florida I've realized just how special it is here. I feel more connected to the surroundings because they are "natural" surroundings. My back patio has a view to the lake where many different animals such as alligators, birds, and turtles have found a home.

I've had the opportunity to do things here that I never thought to do while I was living in California. Perhaps the surroundings here just enlivened that part of me that wanted to visit and explore the local beaches, state parks, and to actually go out kayaking just so I can be in the sun and on the water.

Although living in California made me aware of the "environment" due to all the efforts California has made towards protecting the environment, green efforts, etc...  It was actually Florida that made me begin to feel "connected" towards the effort. The most logical explanation I can say this is so would be because of all the wildlife, plants, and bodies of water. It seems to me that there is actually more to protect here. Whereas California has buildings or houses on just about every square foot of land, Florida has a lot of undeveloped land. I would even bet the air is better to breathe here and there is less toxicity.

Yet the future still depends on us and what we do with the resources we have while we still have them. I think one must first have to appreciate and love plants, animals, life & nature before one begins to actively do things towards their preservation. But how do you get people to care who don't? I think a lot of it has to do with the experiences we have where we live and what we are surrounded by. Something as simple as rescuing a baby mockingbird who has fallen from a nest into a busy street might awaken someone to the importance of wildlife preservation. Yet what about that person whose only experience with wildlife comes from the zoo with animals in cages & behind glass. Might they not care as much? Experiencing these things hands on and being a part of them is perhaps where it begins.

A photo of a baby mockingbird.