Marjory Stoneman Douglas' "The Everglades: River of Grass"

   When I read the line, "Only one force can conqueror it (the Everglades) completely and that is fire" (Douglas 1988, p. 13), my heart sank. A great sadness flooded over me as I knew how wrong and naive this statement was. The mid to late 1940s must have been a time of great hope and respect for untouched nature and its awes-inspiring force. But now those feelings towards nature are gone as even a child knows the destruction man will bring to land ripe for the slaughter. Fire will destroy a land to the very soil, but eventually that land will grow back. When man destroys land and builds atop it's devastation nothing will grow back but perhaps weeds through the cracks of the pavement.

Photo provided by The U.S. National Archives on Flickr circa 1975

   My spirits were lifted after reading about the Caloosahatchee river. I must see this river daily and have always felt as if this river is just as much apart of Lee County as any courthouse, strip mall, sports team, or summer home. I have known the Caloosahatchee for over 30 years and cannot count on my hands and feet the number of times I have swam in its warm water, created life long memories with my friends driving a small boat through the waves or jumping from boat docks into the brackish water.

Photo provided by Florida Memory on Flickr circa 1955

   I was then brought to a place of hopelessness and insecurity when hurricanes were mentioned. Not much on Earth can bring man to feel small and inconsequential other than natural disasters. Man can conquer and destroy more than fire, but nothing can bring solitary man to his knees faster than the violent forces of nature. Hurricanes were once a way of life for people who lived in Florida during the summer months. Weeks could not go by without at least one hurricane watch in the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricanes would either dissipate and never make land, downgrade to a smaller storm, or hit Florida with heavy wind, rain, and lightning often cutting power, flooding the streets, and cause massive structural damage. Regardless of the outcome each summer there would be the same feeling of hopelessness and insecurity from when the next hurricane may hit.

Photo provided by Kakela on Flickr April 17th, 2005

Douglas, M. S. (1988). The Everglades: River of grass. Sarasota, FL: Pineapple Press.

Rachel Carson's: "A Fable For Tomorrow" and "The Obligation To Endure"

   In Rachel Carson's article, "A Fable for Tomorrow", the author imagines "...a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surroundings." It is the very picture of natural perfection. All species of life blossomed in an orchestra of peace and beauty that was only made possible by human awareness of ethical environmentalism. People traveled from miles away just to absorb and participate in the ecological paradise that was as pure as when man first settled the region. I too dream of places like this. Clean, crisp fall evenings gripping to the last vestiges of a soft, setting sun shining through the red and orange autumn leaves. But they are only dreams, for most of us, who are surrounded by pavement, machinery, and a blinding sun only to be interrupted by marginally less-blinding light pollution. Rachel Carson's dream, much like mine, is beautiful but, for the most part unattainable, in this life time anyway. Maybe we could go back to before the land was settled to enjoy the harmonious and stunning landscapes or, more realistically, just wait until we pollute our selves to death and the Earth starts with a clean slate, minus ourselves.

Photo provided by Budbrain on Flickr January 5th, 2013

 

 

   In Rachel Carson's article, "The Obligation to Endure", the author paints a very grim outlook on the devastation man has caused to nature by stating, "...pollution is for the most part irrecoverable." I would disagree with this, for the most part. Sure, some harm to the planet brought on by pollution is permanent. However, this does not imply, like the article states, that we should throw in the towel and accept our fate. We can save the planet from environmental catastrophe. We will have to change completely: our mindset, consumption habits, and waste practices, but it can be done. We do not have to simply endure our inevitable demise. Technologies are being developed that can remove pollutants from the soil and water. Better grazing techniques are being used right now to halt and prevent soil erosion along with new and safe supplements to give to cattle to eliminate the release of methane gas. Work is being done at rates never seen before to reverse the harm man has done to the planet. Things can change; and slowly they are.

Photo provided by Image Catalog on Flickr Sept. 21st, 2014

   In Rachel Carson's article, "The Obligation to Endure", the author references, "...the possibility of the extinction of mankind by nuclear war." This is an interesting alarm that has not been raised for sometime now. Granted the article is a bit dated, but I believe the point can be made that, along with the idea that nuclear winter is a real possibility, perhaps mankind is not destined to environmental annihilation. Maybe, mankind can make adjustments, like they have concerning nuclear weapons and their once dire forebodings. Maybe mankind will adapt and persist through creative innovation and collective growth, maybe mankind will not, but to see how far we have come gives me hope. Maybe our obligation to endure will become our responsibility to thrive.

Photo provided by Christophe on Flickr June 5th, 2006

Aldo Leopoldś ¨The Land Ethic¨

   ¨A land ethic changes the role of the Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it (Leopold, 1966 p. 866).¨ I adamantly agree with this statement. To change the downward trajectory of the worldś environment we need to change the mentality of the worldś citizens. We cannot believe the resources of this planet are ours for the taking regardless of the catastrophic effects it has on our environment. Personal greed must not come before the welfare of the planet but rather a respect for the land and a respect for our responsibilities as an environmentally conscious community. Our loyalties and affections must change from fossil fuels, needless waste, factory farming, deforestation, and cheap material products to clean renewable resources, recycling waste, organic farming, conservation, and well crafted, durable products. Its not going to be easy but that does not mean it cannot be done.

Photo provided by Internet Archive Books Images oh Flickr circa 1883

   ¨land-use ethics are still governed wholly by economic self-interest (Leopold, 1966 p. 869).¨ I would agree with this to a point only if it would be agreeable that corporate entities have ethics, particularly to the environment. Gain wealth forgetting all but self is a dominant mantra in the business community. This mantra does not invoke sentiments of ethics- land or human as there are no ethics in business only self-interest. For economic interests to take a back seat to the right of a healthy environment regulations would have to be enforced. The mentality of business, by definition, does not include the welfare of others that could be detrimental to business. There is nothing ethical about that.

Photo provided by Fulvio Barnacchia on Flickr June 5th, 2008

 

¨Perhaps the most serious obstacle impeding the evolution of a land ethic is the fact that our educational and economic system is headed away from, rather than toward, an intense consciousness of land (Leopold, 1966 p. 873)." I believe this is not so true today but it may have been true in 1949, when it was first written. I do not know how the environment was looked upon at this time collectively or how environmentally conscious educators or business people were at this time. It would be interesting to know the exact difference between the mentality of the many then and the mentality of the many today, I will, however, state it will be from the education and scientific community present and future that will improve the health of the environment. That will change our loyalties and affections and change humanity into a land ethical people.

YouTube clip provided by Arizona Game and Fish May 24th, 2012

Leopold, A., Schwartz, C. W., & Leopold, A. (1966). A Sand County almanac: With Other Essays on Conservation from Round River. New York: Oxford University Press.

Service Learning Proposal

Name of Student: Eliot Clasen

Major: Education

College: FGCU

Date: 9/18/2015

Service Learning Venue: Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium

Describe the activity: We will be doing general maintenance, gator pond maintenance, as well as, event preparations for the events that may be held. The work will be labor intensive as many projects will be accomplished.

Are you working in a group or alone? Alone

How does this schedule fit into your schedule: Being a father of three, enrolled in four classes, and interning two days a week for my Education major service-learning is a tough squeeze. I will, however, make the room to complete the service and, hopefully, learn a great deal from it. I will make the schedule work as I always do.

How will this service benefit the organization you serve? I will learn about the native plants and animals to Florida, how the native cultures lived from hunter-gatherer to farmer, and the different environmental characteristics that have changed throughout the centuries. I will then be able to teach my students the information I learned to broaden their knowledge about Florida and the local and planetary environment. Hopefully, through my teaching the students will gain motivation to seek further knowledge and discover a passion for Florida and the environment.

Will this service enrich your understanding of the material covered in class? I believe this service will enrich my understanding of the material by showing me first hand what Florida use to look like compared to what Florida looks like now. I thought the Corkscrew Sanctuary was very informative regarding the species of plants and animals that use to inhabit Florida and I would like to broaden my knowledge even further. I believe I will get an even deeper respect for nature as I work towards improving its health and stability. I will be able to relate even more with the readings and discussions through seeing the content first hand. The destruction man has on the environment and the capabilities man has to improve the environment.

Other questions, comments, concerns? None at this time. I just hope I have an enjoyable experience at a venue that is passionate about their message.