Field Trip Response Paper #4 Nikolas Sartin-Tarm

In this Environmental Studies class, we learned that the greatest thing we as humans can do is respect the environment and leave it untouched. However, as technology got better and populations grew, we started having an impact on the natural habitat. We neglected to think about this, but now that changes are becoming more evident, movements have been started to reduce our influence on the environment. Grassroots movements have started, the three Rs (reuse, reduce, and recycle) have been promoted to children and adults, and more people have started riding bikes to work to reduce energy consumption. While it is great that these movements are taking place, that is not enough. The fact is that we have been destroying natural habitats ever since concentrations of humans, known colloquially as cities, have started to sprout up. What has been even worse is the suburban movement, which started in the 1950s after World War II commenced. Outside of cities, suburban settlements have come up, providing habitats for human beings that commute to these cities for work. Most of the land that hasnt been developed upon has become farmland, which is also a destruction of the natural environment. We have been selfish in thinking we can take over the living space of plants and animals for our own. Most people forget what the

definition of human is. We are homo-sapians, and while we have set ourselves apart, we often neglect the fact that we are still animals. We belong to this environment. We need to think of ourselves as part of the ecosystem. While we may have needs to have shelter and eat food, our needs are no greater than the needs of other animals. I have lived in La Crosse, Wisconsin, my whole life, and I have always thought the area was very beautiful in terms of nature. There are many marshes, bluffs, rivers, and forests around the region that provide living space for trees and animals. However, the city of La Crosse is almost completely developed, being in between bluffs and rivers. Therefore, the suburban movement has become evident here, because most of the free land in the region is miles north of La Crosse. Onalaska, immediately north of La Crosse, went from being a hilly prairie to a bustling suburb. Now, expansion has occurred even farther north of Onalaska, in the village of Holmen. Luckily, of those from around the region that have moved to Holmen, many of them have become aware of the human takeover of the land. Residents of an area in northern Holmen have teamed with the Mississippi Valley Conservancy, an organization committed to protect the natural landscape. It has brought forth the preservation of the Holland Sand Prairie in 2007, which was a neighboring tract of land. This land was to be developed into a strip mall, so that it could

be preserved and restored to the great prairie that it once was. The reason this restoration is so significant is that this is one of the last sand prairies in the region. The type of dry soil that attracts so much wind has become scarce in this region, due to city development, housing projects, and farmland cultivation. This prairie has a tremendous biodiversity; about 150 species of plants have been identified, many of which are threatened or endangered. The restoration has included burning of trees and brush, which have disturbed the integrity of the area. In addition, seeds have been planted in order to bring back species of plants that have been gone. Recreation that does not degrade the environment, such as sightseeing and photography, has taken place so that people can observe such an interesting area that may have been lost if the strip mall had been built. Also, people of many different generations have been educated on the ecology of the area and the impact humans have had on similar environments. The fact that this restoration has taken place gives me hope for the future of the Earth, because it shows that environmentalists can persist against the developers that take over land. It is a constant battle between man vs. environment, but we can live in harmony with nature if we continue efforts like this. While we may always need to keep expanding, the natural environment should be built upon as little as possible. Humans may be known as the greatest and arguably the

smartest species ever to come about, which gives us a good reputation. However, we cannot become the species that destroys the planet.