I was born in Canada, and I always thought the environment I lived in was amazing. However, when I moved to Southwest Florida four years ago I was taken back. I decided to go to Florida Gulf Coast University over other schools that were at equal levels solely because of the astonishing environment we are able to live in. Every time I go outside there is something new to see. Even though, this area is becoming more developed I still believe we are preserving a lot of the beauty Florida has to offer.
I can remember when I first moved here, and my best friend was coming to visit for the first time. She asked me what it was like to live in Florida, and at first I was not too keen on it, but I learned to enjoy the many aspects of nature others are not able to experience every day. I told my friend that it was like living in another world compared to Pennsylvania. I explained to her that there are a variety of animals here, such as deer, wild boar, alligators, snakes, armadillo, birds, and panthers. She was especially shocked to hear that we have deer in Florida. I went on to explain the various foliage we also experience in Florida, such as malaleuca, red maple, and cabbage palm.
There has been a lot of change occurring in Southwest Florida. Right before I moved to this area I heard they destroyed a field in order to build Gulf Coast Town Center. Now that I have been here for some time I can see more changes that are occurring in the area. More land was destroyed on Alico Road in order to expand Gulf Coast Town Center. Recently, on Treeline Road many trees were burned down for some apparent reason. I am waiting to see what will be happening in this area in the future. They also recently started building the new Red Sox Stadium by Gateway, and they needed to destroy more land in order to build the stadium.
It is sad to see all the changes that are occurring in Southwest Florida. Walking outside into the fresh air will not be the same as new roads are being paved and new building are being built. I will no longer be able to appreciate as much nature as I used to before all these changes occurred. I hope there is some law that will be enforced to stop the killing of the environment. I know that our University is not able to build on certain areas of the land because it is land that must be preserved, and the people whom sold the land to the University made an agreement with them that they would only develop on a certain amount of the land.
I believe in the future Southwest Florida will not even look like the same place to me. If people continue to destroy the nature of Florida and continue to build there will be no more environment for us to enjoy. Parts of Southwest Florida need to preserved, and I believe there are many people out there that will make sure some of the land is preserved forever no matter what.
There are many people in Southwest Florida that are “going green;” however, more people need to get on board with the slogan. If people in Southwest Florida were to make decisions through an ecological perspective our environment could be saved. Southwest Florida still has a lot of environmental beauty to be destroyed, and I hope it never comes to the point that there is none left. I believe if more people learned to live like the MacIvey family from A Land Remembered then our environment would be better off. The MacIvey family had little to nothing, and they were not able to buy whatever they wanted like we can do today. They were very grateful for what they had, and I believe not many people are thankful or grateful for everything they have. I believe many people take advantage of what they have. Many people buy things they want and not things they need. If people were less picky and more appreciative our environment could improve greatly. I also believe if we stop building now our environment could benefit. We are not able to take back things that we have already destroyed, just as Solomon MacIvey stated, “If I would rip out the concrete and put back the woods, I would. But I can’t. Progress ain’t reversible. What’s done is done forever, and I’m sure as hell not proud of it” (Smith 401). If builders stop building on our beautiful lands then our environment might be saved and may continue to be appreciated in future generations.
If I as an individual were to make a few changes, I do not think it would make much of a difference. However, I believe I started telling more people about how to make changes then it would make more of a difference. I would start by carpooling more often. I used to carpool to school with my friend last semester, but we do not do it anymore. I already recycle everything recyclable, but I could encourage others to do the same. I could also use less water inside my house and make sure to turn things off when they are not in use. I believe these little changes are possible because they are simple. And I am going to start thinking about doing these small things. If I wanted to do something bigger within the community I could start a service project to help plant new trees in an area that is in need; however, this would be difficult for me to do because of how busy I am. It would also be difficult due to funds for the project. However, I hope one day when I have the time and money I am able to have some kind of project to help preserve the environment.
Smith, Patrick D. A Land Remembered. Englewood, Fla: Pineapple Press, 1984.
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