3. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Today I went on an amazing walk through the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Naples, Florida.  It was once again pretty amazing to see such a beautiful untouched landscape full of wildlife and plant life.  One of the most interesting things at the Sanctuary were all the differing ecosystems that were present providing for many different types of animals and plants.  Among them were the pine flat wood, wet prairie, pond cypress, marshes, lettuce lakes (full of the fan-favorite American Alligators), and bald cypress forests.  Keeping this sanctuary around is of utmost importance to us as people as it acts as a living system by mimicking waste-water treatment using natural  ecological processes involving the plants and animals of the area.  The sanctuary provides a role in the conservation, or the protecting of species and their environments from extinction, and stewardship, the responsible using of the earth's resources, by keeping this area untouched by consumers and people who would wish to use these lands for their own profit.  This is where non-profit organizations come in as they are the ones responsible for keeping these lands safe and providing the framework for ways to protect and maintain our natural waterways and landscapes.  The more of these organizations that can be pulled together in a like-minded effort to maintain our ecological biodiversity, the better a chance they have to stop the changing of our natural landscapes and the important ecological systems they provide.  This thought process requires us as people to become active in the fight to keep our natural habitats alive in the communities whether it be by volunteering in environmental projects or by helping give money to these non-profits to ensure the stability of our ecosystems.  Back before people had desecrated the lands of the Sanctuary, it acted as its own form of irrigation and a source of flowing waters into the ocean.  After the animals were hunted and deforestation began, it became clear that the whole ecosystem was being thrown into a downward spiral where less and less water was falling into the oceans, dry land emerged, and animals were becoming endangered.  All of these factors helped in the decision to save the land.  In regards to the government, it is my opinion that they should be the ones really stepping in to maintain there own natural habitats to keep their land beautiful and thriving while still allowing the natural surroundings to do their jobs in maintaining biodiversity.  They've done this already by establishing laws protecting against the destruction of sanctuaries and the killing of threatened animals.  In the end, the destruction of these lands would kill the biodiversity right on the edge of the Everglades, creating a domino effect that would absolutely destroy the ecosystem of Florida and really throw off the balance of it environment.