| Hand
of Man: Encroachment |
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| The guide to the
Sundew Trail encourages dropping a dime to aid in
finding its namesake, an insect-eating plant sized
about a dime’s diameter. And why not fresh meat? |
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But outside of the Preserve, large numbers of bear, panthers,
and wolves are history. Now the glamour animals (excepting
bobcats, red foxes and coyotes) mostly give way to the visual
bagging of smaller prey. Example: about 175 bird species
live there or are just visiting. Wild orchids coexist with
cacti. Some of these lives are endangered, or threatened,
or “species of concern.” Imagine a world without
the Texas Heelsplitter or the Navasota Ladies’-Tresses!
Should these not be preserved simply because of the special
care taken in giving them a name? |
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In
a preserve, the past is a prologue for future human
interactions with the environment. Four carnivorous
plants consume there, side by side with consumptive
use of their home by humans. The timber industry
collided with what had been two centuries ago; oil
and gas extraction and even rice farming was on
the scene in the last century. In the National Preserve,
the result is a mere fender bender, impacting just
1% of the total.
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| Was
the fire made by man or by God? No matter—growth
happens. |
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