“The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” — Anonymous
Making our way to the Flagler Trailhead of the Little Econ State Forest in Chuluota, FL was an exercise in reinforcing why we were joining other world savers in a peaceful demonstration called “Take a Hike, Florida!” organized by the Florida Forever Coalition. We got lost on our way because our MapQuest directions were crap, I presume because the area keeps growing and even the internet can’t keep up with it; or maybe that’s just because our penchant for development was already on my mind. We passed mile after mile of box stores containing the same chain businesses over and over again, and housing developments that are ironically named for the nature or agriculture they’ve replaced.
Our misadventure provided Brendan and I plenty of opportunity for bitching at each other, followed by making up – for the record, Brendan was in an inexplicably pissy mood, which we decided stemmed from the MapQuest mishap. We arrived at the trailhead a half hour late, but just in time to join the group of thirty. The group was an interesting bunch: respected naturalist/writer/documentarian Bill Belleville, an inappropriately dressed-up aide from a “moderate” republican’s office, a guy running for office who didn’t stop campaigning the entire hike, organizers from the Sierra Club and The Nature Conservancy, and a sundry of other concerned citizens like us.
Along the start of the trail there is an outbreak of McMansion style houses – including one nauseatingly generic gated community called Osprey Lakes – so it takes a good mile down the trail before you really feel like you’re in nature and, for a bit, you still hear the disconcerting sounds of gunfire from a nearby shooting range. Soon though, it is hard not to succumb to the beauty of Florida all around you.
We wondered aloud why the path we were walking on was raised and we later learned that it was a product of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy which takes former rail lines and turns them into recreational paths. In addition to the raised path, large wooden poles still stand where once there was a bridge for the train.
After hiking for a couple of miles, our group reached the Econ River where we sat to listen to Mr. Belleville and folks from Sierra Club and The Nature Conservancy speak. In a nutshell the situation is easy to understand, here in Florida we have about 27% of our land set aside for public acquisition (meaning it can’t be touched for development), which is pretty good because most states only have 16%. However, we’re addicted to growth here in Florida, and at the rate we’re going we could wind up with only that 27%. I would add to that my own fear that just because we have that land set aside now doesn
’t mean it can’t be taken away; remember our last President’s rape of our National Parks? He effectively undid good that goes back to Theodore Roosevelt.
The undercurrent on the bank of the river was politics. Activists listened patiently as the aide from the “moderate” republican’s office defended the practice of putting convoluted items on the ballot. To her the responsibility is in the hands of the voter, which I agree with, to a point. I’m sure you’ve had the same experience that I’ve had where you spend time deciphering your sample ballot to figure out what an item means…and sometimes you’re still not sure! Clouding an issue is a politician’s favorite modus operandi and, particularly where ballots are concerned, I think that should change.
Aide and activists alike agreed when it comes to ways that you can help protect our vital natural resources. Contact your state representatives. Even if you wind up being just a tick on a paper, your voice has been heard and it is listened to more than we realize. When contacting them, emphasize the economic impact of our natural resources, you can find information about that here. Finally, just get out there and use our public parks, trails, and waterways. Your communing with nature reinstates your concern for these resources each time you do it.
Photos by Brendan O’Connor & Scottie Campbell
