We Are Nature

     It's amazing to me how humans disrespect nature.  I think we tend to forget that we are nature too, so we shouldn't disrespect the beautiful things that nature has to offer.  It's truly amazing how little effort it actually takes to keep our earth clean and make it a better place, yet people still litter and disrespect the environment that provides everything they need to survive.

     I was walking down the path with my dog the other day when I saw the most bizarre and horrible thing: two guys were hunting ducks, right on this walking path occupied with other people.  At the time, I was the only one who saw it, but it just didn't seem right.  I understand that some people enjoy hunting, and I have absolutely no problem with that, but it just doesn't seem right to be hunting ducks in a residential area like my neighborhood.  

     I interpreted the actions of these guys killing the ducks as an intrusion of their sanctuary.  The ducks that live in my neighborhood at this creek have never had to worry about people killing them, so why should it be okay for these guys to show up and change that?  

     Maybe it seems like I'm overreacting about what I saw, but how would you feel if someone came into your home, a place where you thought you were safe, and hurt you or your family?

One White Duck

     It's amazing, the things you notice when you actually look.  I've lived by this creek for my entire life and I've noticed more in the past week than I ever have.  The way all the trees blend together along the sides of the creek look like its a gateway to the unknown. Thinking about this creek really makes me wonder how long it has been here, and I want to research it, but I don't think I'd find much considering that this creek doesn't even have a name that I know of.

      As I walked one day, I decided to stop and look closely into the water.  I never realized how complex this little, seemingly insignificant, creek actually is.  The way every element in this creek works together makes me think of how this little creek is essentially an ecosystem, and if any element of it was taken out, every other piece of this little puzzle would fall apart.  The minnows feed on the moss growing on rocks, but when I walk up and my shadow is cast over them, they scatter like hundreds of beads rolling across the floor.  It's almost impossible to take a picture of them because I can't get close enough to take it before they dart away in all directions.   

      Sometimes as I walk I see things that don't quite fit in.  It's sad to see trash littering the creek; bottles floating downstream, tricking ducks into thinking they're food.  The worst thing to see is shopping carts that people dump in and around the creek.  I even got a picture of one. 

      The Ducks of the creek are surely not scared of humans.  If anything, humans might be scared of them.  They are so used to humans that they don't even acknowledge them.  Seeing these groups of ducks brings back memories of when I was a child, and my sister, my mom, and I would walk down to the creek and feed the ducks our expired bread.  Maybe we contributed to the ducks' fearless behavior toward humans.  I was trying to walk back home, but a group of ducks was in my way, forcing me to walk around them. 

      All of the ducks in the creek are dark colors. The males are dark with green heads and the females are different shades of brown.  The strange thing is that there is one single white duck, which I have seen in past years and it's very strange to me.  I wonder if this could be the same duck, or maybe one of its children.  Also, if this is the same duck, how long do ducks live and how could there only be one white duck out of the hundreds of darker colored ducks in this creek? I did a little research to find the answer to my question.  I found that the darker, more populous ducks are called Mallards and these are very common in small ponds and creeks, like the one by my house.  Sadly, I was not able to identify the type of bird that the white one is, but I'll keep trying.  

 

Works Cited

Owen Dick, Gary.  "Mallard".  Field Guide to Birds of North America.  Mitch Waite Group,  n.d. 

        Web.  1 Dec. 2014. 

     

The Creek

      For this project I have been observing a creek that runs along a walking path near my house.  There is an abundant amount of wildlife in this area; although, these creatures are taken for granted by almost everyone, myself included.  I have decided to observe this area because it seems to me that I may have the opportunity to learn a lot about a place that is so close to my house, yet I've never truly appreciated it.  There is a possibility that this will be the most boring thing that I could have chosen to observe, but there is also the potential that this place will help me understand and appreciate the gift of nature on a deeper level. 

       So far, nothing too great has happened during my observations, but I have been able to notice a little bit more about my surroundings.  The other day while I was walking down the path, I realized that the ducks, fish, frogs, crawdads, and other animals all have to share the same resources and living environment.  To me, it almost seems like they all live in one big home and they just have to coexist peacefully.  This idea really made me think about how important it is to tolerate and understand others, even when it isn't the easiest thing to do.  These animals don't care that people are stomping all around their house, so why can't humans take a lesson from these animals and simply learn how to tolerate those who are different than them?