When I was little, my parents used to take me canoeing on the lake by our house. I used to lean over the sides and let my fingers trail in the water, or splash my dad with the small oar he brought for me, or watch how close we could get to turtles before they slid off their log and into the water.
I still take the kayak out on the lake fairly often in the summer, but more for exercise than to admire nature. The last trip I took just last summer, my sister decided to join me. She’s nine years old, and hasn’t quite lost the ability to see wonder in everything, even things she’s seen a hundred times before, though it is fading. As we were paddling back, she reached over the side of the boat as we passed by a patch of water lilies, pulling one out of the water and breaking its stem so that she could take it back with her.
Lily pads have always interested me. The stretches of water covered by a thin layer of plant which catch on your paddles. The green color against brown water. And lily pads aren't just important to the humans who admire them--they serve an important role in the ecosystem. During the hottest parts of the summer, they provide shade, which helps keep fish and other creatures cool while preventing the excessive spread of algae, which would otherwise cause reduced oxygen and thereby kill off other species.
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| During the summer, this lake, Lake Barcroft, is covered in lily pads, but during the rest of the year they’re replaced by fallen leaves or winter ice. |
My sister’s interest in the lilies must have reminded me of mine, which I seem to have forgotten since I was her age, because I’ve recently found myself looking for lily pads when visiting lakes. I missed my chance last summer, not thinking about them until they were already receding for the year, so I try to find them elsewhere in order to observe them. This summer, I’ll be sure to pay more attention to the lilies that grow on Lake Barcroft-where I already know where to find them.
More on Lily Pads:
Im jealous of your photo skills. You always write very descriptive writings and I'm jealous. Great job! :)
ReplyDeleteThe scenes of the lake with lily pads and a nine-year-old sister is in front of my eyes despite the pictures in the post which exact describe it.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in when you were talking about the fading of wonder. How do you think that feeling plays into our relationship with nature? Is that a natural process, or have we set ourselves up to becomes bored with nature?
ReplyDelete