Estero Bay

Thinking about how the earth can change in a day really doesn’t sound like much. But once you hear about how a certain place has changed over hundreds of years it defiantly starts to make you think. Fort Myers Beach has gone through so much stuff from hurricanes to different people in office a lot of stuff has happened. But one thing that has stayed the same is that little house off the beaten road. This is where we got to learn so much information about Fort Myers that usually you wouldn’t know. It got me thinking what if Fort Myers didn’t have the hurricanes or anything that it had happen to it would it be the same? Probably not! After we got a sight to what Fort Myers went through we went on a hike. This is where it really got me thinking on how people can make a difference and create something new. You look at something every day and you really can’t see the differences and changes but if you see something and then come back ten years later you will defiantly see something new. This is what I thought when going to the Estero Bay. I thought about this when I was hearing about how you (Professor Wilkinson) had grown up and done so much for this area. Creating the bridge way making the maps it really made me think about how people really cherish this land. When taking the hike I kept thinking back on how was this land 10, 15, 20 years ago? Was that tree there? Was that birds nest there? Was that pond there? There are so many great things that live in an area where you usually wouldn’t have thought to look. I never thought I would be able to see a waterfront view from the little house where we started off in, but sure enough a little bit into the mangrove trees and you could see the water. I think that’s amazing how in such an industrialized area you can still find a piece of serenity and really look and see something from a new perspective. Looking around and seeing all the different types of plants, trees, and animals really made me think how blind I have been. I go the same route to work every day but not once have I ever just looked outside my window and see what’s actually going on in the environment. Well after taking this trip I differently got a sense of reality put back into me. Did you know that there are three different types of mangroves all different but similar all in the same ways? It is crazy how we take mangroves and just our environment for granted. But wait until it’s all gone and then we will be missing it. What if instead of those gorgeous mangrove trees there were high rises and condos. Not so serine anymore. This field trip had an impact on me that I defiantly didn’t think it would have. I would love to go back 5 or even 3 years from now and see all the different things that have changed.