For my April/May blog I found a nice spot in the backyard of my home in Laredo, Texas. The day was particularly beautiful because this area had just gotten a whole bunch of rain in a big storm the day before. The yard looked very vibrant and alive. I was intrigued by all the bright colors which I had not experienced during my encounters at Blunn Creek. The temperature was 82 F and sunny with clear skies. Although my parents yard was really beautiful, I couldn’t help but think that it was probably hogging up lots of water, and could be much more sustainable. When I first started doing this blog I probably would have just taken a look at my yard and not seen much. Today I am much more aware of how having a pretty yard like that effects the environment. In these few months I have learned a lot about water conservation and sustainability. Sure the Blunn Creek area might have less vibrant colors and exotic plants, but it certainly has more native species and plays a role in the environment.
Aldo Leopold- “One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds. Much of the damage inflicted on land is quite invisible to laymen. An ecologist must either harden his shell and make believe that the consequences of science are none of his business, or he must be the doctor who sees the marks of death in a community that believes itself well and does not want to be told otherwise.”
Although this quote is slightly saddening, it holds pretty true to my final blog. My parents are in their 60s and quite traditional (they probably wouldn’t listen much to someone who told them they had a water hogging yard).