It has been thrilling to see the support for our State Parks across the state of Florida. It seems that even though the threat of commercial destruction of our wild places is still on the horizon there is a groundswell effort to fight the DeSantis administration and this terrible idea. It is blatantly obvious that those who wish to change this dynamic ecosystem into short-sighted profit.
It interest me that something that seems so conservative at its core, preserving undisturbed lands, would be undermined by those who claim a conservative viewpoint. The same applies for all levels of conservation and preservation. At some point those who understand both the aesthetics and the economy of working within the parameters of the natural order became vilified by the power brokers. All who stood in the way of blatant willy-nilly destruction of everything natural were identified as “tree-huggers” and “crazy environmentalists.”
Meanwhile, in the ditches and scars left by those who rape and pillage we find simple flowers returning. The seeds are carried on the toes of wading birds or stuck on the snouts of wild pigs. They plant themselves in a desperate act of survival. The wild flower that seems most meager possesses the tenacity of a king. Its will to survive and stand its ground within the natural order is a testament to the spirit of evolution.
Tiny orchids flourish in the aftermath of a controlled burn. Hundreds of thousands of years taught them to trust the fires that wiggled and sizzled their way through the grasslands of the south. The natural systems all work together for common good. The abundance offers sustenance to other species who are willing to observe and participate. The ones who run afoul are doomed to suffer an incalculable uncertainty.
Our state-owned lands are points of entry to both the microcosm and the macrocosm. We find grand vistas and special tiny spots. All open to being observed and digested.
Visit our public lands. Don’t think of what they could be but enjoy what they are. Admire the wild sand lupine as it pushes its way through the grit.
Drop to your knees and crawl the damp margins to find the wild orchids.
Let all the power-brokers know that our public lands are a sacred trust.
Amen! Howlelujah!
Well said!!