Week 5: Mangrove Mania

 Our class had the privilege of taking a field trip to Estero Bay where we visited a Fort Myers Beach Historic Cottage.  We walked and took a tour of the mangrove preserve boardwalk.  The mangroves' tangled branches extended towards each other forming a foreboding tunnel-like passage way to the ocean.  I took several photographs that really captured the beauty and mystery of these ubiquitous trees. The brown colored brackish water gave rise to my imagination that an alligator was going to spring up from the depths at any moment. We were invited to take a tour of a nearby cottage.  I was relieved take a respite from the heat and humidity.  We greeted by eighty-two year old, Jo Hughes, who brightened our day with cookies and home made sea grape jelly.  Ms. Hughes held our rapt attention with stories about Fort Myers over the decades. perspective, stories, and insight to what her life was like growing up and living on Fort Myers Beach.

As we strolled along the boardwalk through the Professor Wilkinson regaled us on the mangroves important roles in the environment.   Since we live in a hurricane active area is was comforting visualizing the mangroves standing guard at the waters edge to buffer this historic cottage from storm waves.  With the mangroves close proximity and twisting branches, it is easy to understand how it would serve many animals with shelter and breeding grounds. 

It was interesting to hear Ms Hughes  description of the ocean as an everlasting large swimming pool that was frequented by her and her friends during their youth.  However, it was a bit disheartening to learn that back then "the water was so clear that you could see all the way to the bottom."  Unfortunately, the water's visibility today was poor presumably because of pollution over the years.  Overall, I feel a bit inspired that our waters can be restored if we all come together and collaborate on solutions to our environmental challenges.

Going back to a simpler cleaner time sounds enticing but I couldn't imagine living without air conditioning!