The rippling water was majestic as the wind danced through the trees making a symphony of nature sounds. The noises enveloped your mind and created a sense of relaxation and tranquility. Here and there you would here a noise in the trees that would catch your attention distracting you from your peaceful state. What I focused most of my attention on is the little creek that runs through Blunn Creek Preserve which is owned by St. Edward’s University.
It would be foolish to say that this creek was alive and flowing vibrantly because in reality the water level was low. The creek was slowly moving and trickling through the little pebbles and rocks. As I got closer I could see the massive algae buildup in the water. What should have been a fresh, clean, clear running creek was a green color that made it look sickly. As I continued to observe the water I didn’t see any creature living in the water. I didn’t see a bug, a little fish, or a frog. The only thing I saw floating down the water was leaves from the bare trees. Surprisingly, as I walked up the creek a little bit there was a lot more movement of the water and not as much algae build up which is hopeful.
Unfortunately, this protected area isn’t very well protected. Things from outside of the preserve find their way in including runoff from the roads into the creek, people, and animals. Humans are the ones that do the most damage. I couldn’t help but notice the trash in the creek and along the banks. There were bottles of beer, soda, and cigarette packages. Aldo Leopold stated in his book, A Sand County Almanac, that “Land, then, is not merely soil; it is a fountain of energy flowing through a circuit of soils, plants, and animals” (216). It’s sad to see that humans (some of the most intelligent creatures on earth) cause destruction to the land that provides us with all of our needs. Nature is a mysterious thing that mankind needs to be sane. As I have stated before the symphony of sounds envelops your mind and bring you one step closer to understanding than you were before.
I tried to get a picture where you could see the algae and the stillness. This picture also show the beauty of the creek.
The trash along the banks of the river.