Our ability to perceive quality in nature begins, as in art, with the pretty.- Aldo Leopold
After four years at St. Edward’s, I finally spent some time at the St. Edward’s Wet Pond. There is a spot right behind the Rec Center where you can sit and enjoy the view of the pond. This spot is relatively quiet if you are able to drown out the traffic on Congress. The first time I went to the pond I sat at a table and observed things from there. On my next trip I found an information placard sitting on a fence that had a information about the pond. What I didn’t know was that this pond is used to collect and treat storm water runoff.
I chose the quote above because I initially only noticed the pretty pond. I didn’t consider the function it served. After thinking about it, this quote accurately describes how I view nature and the environment. I typically notice what I consider “pretty” before anything else. I usually enjoy sitting and appreciating nature when it is visually appealing to me. For example, I love being by any type of water, because I find it so calming.
Now that I know this pond is used for the collection of storm water, I will try and notice how the water level changes as I continue to visit.
