(Part one of this two-part column appeared in last week’s Village Chronicles).
Visiting the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve was one of the most interesting and powerful experiences with nature that I have ever had.
Sian Ka’an is recognized under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme, and is considered a World Heritage Site. My eightyear-old daughter and I were truly able to get in touch with this unique and beautiful reserve.
Definitively, UNESCO sees a biosphere reserve as an ecological area with three core needs and functions—conservation, sustainable development, and logistic support for scientific research and education.
Natural World Heritage sites must be of outstanding universal value in accordance with the UNES CO Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, and indeed, Sian Ka’an is an absolutely amazing property.
Located on the Mayan Riviera, it is a large area--nearly 1.3 million acres. It has 23 known archeological sites with relics dating up to 2,300 years old, 103 varieties of mammals, and 336 species of birds.
Currently it is home to over 2,000 inhabitants, who are mostly native Mayan Indians, one of which was our guide to tour the jungle and cenote lake system.
Jungles are noisy places. Birds, insects, wind, and the creaking of branches combine to make a beautiful symphony of sound. Our Mayan guide, Antonio, pointed out many medicinal plants and warned us away from the treacherous ones.
Amazing canals stretch for miles through the system of mangroves and wetlands. The mangroves are found on one side of the canal system, while the other side is occupied by the wetland savannah which is quite beautiful.
My daughter and I were plopped into a canal without our guide or any protection beyond a life vest, and we floated in our bathing suits down a one-mile stretch of canal. As Antonio dropped us in the water, I was concerned about crocodiles and predators—it left our hearts pounding with excitement. However, there was no need to be worried. The sound of the wind blowing the mangroves and savannah grasses was quite amazing.
Touching mangrove roots while we floated and really feeling a part of this special environment was powerful for both of us.
Having all your senses tantalized by nature is something everyone should experience, particularly children. It is enough to humble even the most confident among us to understand that, while the jungles provide the earth with oxygen and the mangroves help protect the coastlines from eroding, many medicines and antibiotics needed for survival are found in this diverse world.
By introducing your family to nature, you are educating them on the world’s needs and therefore helping them to understand the value of our eco-system as well as the value of our humanity. It is the green thing to do— the right thing to do.
What are you doing to introduce your family to nature? Whatever it is, do it today. To see my complete ecoblogging adventure, go to http://bit .ly/3YKee.
