swamp, water biome,
distinct plants and animals,
filtering water,
nature in perfect balance,
environmental asset
It was time to take the airboat tour through the swamps. We were brought to the front of the line, ahead of many people who had been standing in the hot sun. They called us line crashers.
“You know, there’s a line here,” said one very angry man.
“What the problem?” the security guard asked.
“These people jumped the line,” an angry woman called out.
“Yes, they certainly did. It so happens they are guests of the park. They are VIPs and will be treated with respect,” the guard answered.
“Excuse me. I didn’t know we were dealing with royalty,” an angry man said.
“Hershel, give it a rest. You’re embarrassing me,” the man’s wife told him.
Isn’t this too funny? All this fuss over us. I loved it.
We climbed onto the first row of the flat-bottomed airboat. Our host, Maria, explained, “The boat has no keel or rudder. The boat moves by an above-water engine and propeller combination. This allows the airboats to travel up to speeds of 50-60 mph. These boats are used for rescue as well as for recreation.”
We put on our ear protectors to lessen the noise from the engine. The pilot of the boat reminded everyone to keep their arms and legs in. He then told us about something that had happened many years before.
“True story. Two girls were sitting on a bridge with their feet dangling, high up above the water. Along came an alligator with lunch on his mind. Up he jumped and pulled one of those girls right in. That was the end of her,” the boat pilot shouted over the noise.
“Really?” I asked. I wasn’t sure if I should believe him.
“Really,” he answered. “These are wild creatures here. We’re in their habitat, and they don’t like being disturbed. Just keep that in mind.”
“Everyone, take a look on the right side of the boat. You can see an alligator popping up. Remember what I just told you,” the boat pilot said. He looked straight at me as I stood up with my camera in hand.
Jasmine had a question. “If alligators are nocturnal, why are they swimming around now?”
“If you had the noise of all these engines in your ears, you wouldn’t be doing much sleeping either,” answered the boat pilot in his no-nonsense way.
Maria decided to fill us in on some important information. “This would be a good time for me to tell you about this swamp biome. Wetlands are areas of land that are wet for part of the year. Some are completely covered by water. Others have shallow water. Bogs, marshes, lagoons, and swamps are examples of wetlands.”
“I never knew that,” Jasmine said.
Maria continued, “A swamp is covered with trees and shrubs. This shallow water is murky because there’s not much movement and so, not much oxygen.”
I asked, “What kinds of animals live here besides the alligators?”
“Fish, beetles, salamanders, frogs, snakes, flies, birds, rabbits, raccoons, opossum, owls, bobcats, foxes, and deer and the endangered Florida panther,” Maria replied.
“And they all get along?” I asked.
Maria replied, “They get along in an environmentally balanced way. Each link in the food chain is in place. So, they don’t fight, but they do eat one another.”
“Oh,” I said. “Which animal eats the alligators?”
“Very good question,” Maria responded. “The alligators are the lucky ones here. They have no natural enemies that live in the swamp. They get to swim and hunt freely with no danger from the other animals.”
“How do the alligators see underwater if the water isn’t clear?” asked Ms. Costa.
“The alligators have clear, protective membranes that slide across their eyes when they are underwater,” Maria answered.
“You mean, like goggles that people wear underwater?” I asked.
“You’ve got the idea,” Maria said.
“But what I don’t get is, if the swamp water is murky, then how is the water that comes out of the swamp clean and clear?” Jasmine asked.
“That’s one important contribution of the swamp to the environment. Wetlands are like sponges, soaking up rain and even sewage runoff. The plants give off oxygen during photosynthesis. This prevents the buildup of too many toxins in the water,” Maria explained.
Maria continued, “These natural sponges strain out the mud and other unwanted things so that all of that settles and is trapped on the bottom. Only the clear, purified water flows freely to the top and out into streams.”
“There’s a lot of purpose to this biome, isn’t there?” Ms. Costa said.
“Yes. The wetlands also provide shelter for many animals. In addition, they provide a safe breeding and nesting area. Animals that migrate also stop in the wetlands to rest during their journeys. The perfectly balanced food chain insures a food source for those animals,” Maria continued.
“Alligators to the left. Looks like a mama and her baby,” the boat pilot called out.
I shot up to take some more pictures with my camera. The boat pilot looked me straight in the eye. “I know,” I said. “I’m keeping my arms and legs inside the boat.”
I decided to sit down because he didn’t stop staring at me.
“This is such an amazing place. Again, all of this happening underneath and we would never know,” I said.
“Ms. Costa, can you help us when we have to do the assembly program?” Jasmine asked.
“Girls, you’ve got your camera, notebooks, and brochures. I have confidence that you can pull this off. By yourselves.”
“Since we’re on the subject, why can’t you do the talking?” I asked Jasmine.
“Because you’re the poet, and I’m the researcher.”
“That doesn’t really answer the question.”
“It does for me.”
“But I don’t like talking in front of groups. Suppose I forget everything I’m supposed to say?” I sounded whiny.
“You and Jasmine will have to work together to get all the information across. Keep in mind, your mom and Jasmine’s dad promised to help with the technical part of the presentation.”
“My father takes filmmaking courses in Manhattan. He learned some really cool stuff,” Jasmine reminded me.
“But how can I capture the feelings?” I asked.
“Remember, you have a poet’s soul,” my mom encouraged me.
“Be in touch with what you’re feeling, be still, then write what’s in your heart.”