There’s no better time to enjoy nature than now. In these times of social distancing, our healthiest option is to take a walk through open space. Of course you can run or bike too, but the point is to be outside in fresh air, at least six feet away from other people.
I noticed a lot of people were taking advantage of Robinson Preserve Saturday morning. A week at home with school-aged children might just drive a family outdoors. The kids definitely need a chance to run off a lot of pent-up energy, while parents might enjoy the stress relief of exercise, blue skies, gentle breezes and enough space to allow everyone to enjoy all that togetherness.
It’s also a great time to appreciate the parks and preserves we have in Manatee County. When I was a kid it was easy to get outside and just disappear into the woods for hours. I could ride my bike to forested areas all around my home in Palmetto. One of those places I used to bike to is now a preserve and I am grateful that it is. Emerson Point Preserve was just a place for me to go explore when I was a kid. I didn’t know who it belonged to and no one seemed to care that I scooted through the underbrush, discovering what was there.
There was always plenty to see: Fiddler crabs the size of a dime skittered along the flats at low tide, making trails through the mud; pelicans dove for fish time and time again in an amazing synchronized dance; and I even came face to face once with a rattlesnake. (Fortunately I had a camera in front of my face even back then). The point is there was plenty of open space to explore and nature was abundant — it was an education you couldn’t get anywhere else. It was all free and all close to home.
The county saved that space and turned it in to a preserve after development threatened to take it over. There are places I remember going to further from home and later in life that had dirt roads and lots of scrub and hammocks. They are now major developments — Lakewood Ranch and Harrison Ranch — with more places like them slated to come.
Now families plan a day to the preserve and they run into other families. They mostly stick to the trails and boardwalks to help preserve the fragile and shrinking ecosystems we have left. I don’t take for granted the places we have. Spaces that I thought as a kid would always be there and always stay the same. I was never concerned with trails because a lot of time I had to make my own. That time as a kid playing in the woods, helped my hone a keen eye for nature and develop a sense of appreciation for the life around me.
These days a virus has reminded me again to appreciate life and the natural world. Like so much in nature, we are resilient. These weeks are an opportunity for families to explore Florida’s open spaces — even if it’s only online as far as state parks go, — to enjoy what we have, to educate ourselves about why it’s so important and maybe even discover ways to conserve more.
I hope you will enjoy these photos from Emerson Point Preserve.
