“The miracle of the light pours over the green and brown
expanse of saw grass and of water, shining and slow-moving below, the grass and
water that is the meaning and central fact of the Everglades of Florida”
(Douglas 108).
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Without “the grass and water” the Everglades would lose its
defining characteristic. Douglas’s literature is descriptive and paints a vivid
picture of the Everglades for the reader. I was intrigued by this sentence
because I find its simplicity to be extremely powerful. I like the fact it
focuses on grass and water as the defining characteristics of the Everglades. I can close my eyes and I can imagine the Florida sun hitting the Everglades water, enclosed by trees, mosses, and grass. They are an ecological beauty.
They have been called “the mysterious Everglades” so long
that the phrase is a meaningless platitude” (Douglas 110).
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Habituation renders something once mysterious, instead, a
normality. What do the Everglades mean to Florida citizens who are accustomed
to its presence. Besides passing the everglades while going south on I-75, I
must admit I have spent little time thinking about them. In fact, when I think
of the Everglades I seem to automatically think of alligators and crime
television series where human bodies are chopped up and dumped in the
Everglades to never again be found. I rarely think of the ecological purpose
the stretch of land serves. If I am unaware of their impact on the ecosystem,
how can I truly appreciate them? Douglas mentions the Everglades are “still
mysterious to everyone by whom their fundamental nature is not
understood”. Mystery, due to lack of
knowledge, is still a better alternative than apathy.
“They are the only Everglades in the world” (Douglas 112)
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Douglas emphasizes this several times through his text
alluding to the exclusivity of this ecological beauty. If the Everglades are a
natural phenomenon isolated to the State of Florida, what is currently being
done to preserve them? I believe classes that raise awareness and increase knowledge, such as Colloquium, are pivotal to developing Florida citizens who take a more active role in preserving Florida's natural environment. Regardless of a students major, this increased knowledge can be used to enact change. I personally can make more informed and positive business choices; specifically, choices that do not harm the local environment.
