During the airboat ride
through the Everglades, I was continuously reminded of the astonishing
complexity of nature. While gliding over the sawgrass and apple snail
filled marsh, the dichotomy of good and evil slowly came into focus. Like
many things considered exceptionally "good" or positive, a bad counterpart
exists lurking in the hidden darkness. In the case of the Everglades Park
the two drastically different traits are exhibited through nature's actions
in many forms.
The park offers an obvious
advantage and opportunity for the animals inhabiting the land by giving
them a natural environment, which is protected by Federal and State laws
and regulations. However, underlying this safe and tranquil facade is the
reality that many of these animals do not always react in a matter
considered natural because their environment is not completely "natural".
An example of this would be the alligator that meandered over to our
airboat during our class trip. It is not natural nor is it safe for the
alligators or the people to be accustomed to such interactions. In all
probability this is a result of people feeding and trying to befriend the
wild animals, possibly by the tour guides as a method to engage and
entertain the clients. The alligators get familiarized with this behavior
and expect it from all humans, which is where problems and accidents occur.
Another example of the not-so-natural environment at the park is the
interaction that our airboat had with the Purple Gallinule that flew and
landed right next to the fan of the airboat. The bird was so habituated to
the humans from the park that it was unaware of the possible danger it was
in. A Purple Gallinule not accustomed to human interaction would have been
afraid of a loud floating device carrying over 20 human beings.
However, these unnatural
interactions do not consist of only negative effects. Due to the fact that
these animals are accustomed to people it does provide us with the
opportunity to observe them from a closer distance and expand our knowledge
on their habits. It also gives us the opportunity to interact with such
extravagant animals that under other situations would not be possible.
Another example of good
and bad intertwined within nature is the effects of the hurricane. The
tranquility of the water and the stillness among the trees were a perfect
portrait of peace during the excursion, however blemishes of destruction
visible from the airboat randomly disturbed this serene landscape. I
realized the balance nature carried between its flourishing environment
and the hurricane scenes normally thought to be devastating and destructive.
Behind these natural disasters is a meticulous beauty and well-constructed
matrix that can only be created by nature. Much like humanity, nature
practices survival through production, generations of animals, plants, and
organisms. This production however, often leads to overpopulation and
overcrowding. This is a rapid growing problem humanity also faces. Humans
have yet to learn an appropriate method to control our population. Often we
depend on nature to somewhat control the human race, through disease and
old age. Nature, on the other hand, depends on itself to keep its
environment balanced. Events such as the hurricane and forest fires help
keep the population at an acceptable range. These disasters also promote
biodiversity by providing the opportunity for new habitats and species to
flourish, which in other overcrowded situations would never have had the
chance.
Some of the trees lining
the boat's path during our trip were uprooted and knocked down due to
Hurricane Katrina. The damage was a scene that brought sadness as well as
flashbacks of the damage that occurred to our homes and neighborhoods by
the same hurricane. However the results to our homes were different from
the results of the Everglades - this is where the complex relationship
between bad and good within nature happens. A hurricane, though a travesty,
I now have come to realize is also a necessity. The trees I saw damaged and
drying created new homes for animals in the area such as the snail kites
and the raccoons. The decaying wood offered food to other animals such as
the apple snail and the vacant area left in the ground made room for new
vegetation to grow. That is nature's method of giving other plants and
animals a chance to survive in the marsh habitat - the sunshine through all
the rain.
A classic example of good
and bad being portrayed within nature is that of hunter and prey. When one
thinks of hunter and prey often an image similar to that of a leopard
prowling over grassland for dinner comes to mind. The Everglades offers
this relationship in a more microscopic form. A symbolic bird from the
Everglades is the snail kite. The snail kite survives by feeding on the
apple snail, using its beak to loosen the snail from its shell. The thought
may seem cruel, however the apple snail is also a hunter. It hunts and
scavenges for algae. It is the circle of life, and it is yet another
necessity of nature: life and death.
The Everglades has
provided our community with an unlimited number of resources from drinking
water to an improved knowledge and understanding of our world. One of the
most powerful assets given to us by the park is the comprehension of the
balance between good and bad. Natural disasters, intrusions to the natural
environment, and the need for death in order to survive are all symbolic
aspects of the need for a bad counterpart to every good. Through nature's
example, society can learn to accept disastrous events, such as the loss
of a loved one or daily inconveniences and convert them into positive,
beneficial experiences.
