Student thoughts: Human flaws should breed environmental awareness

Gabrielle Garcia / Contributing Writer

opinion@fiusm.com


 

Millions of species, past and present, call the earth home. However, human presence seems to set itself apart from those other inhabitants as we grow and evolve as a worldwide community. It is as if there is almost little to no coexistence between humanity and other species.

A few years ago while staying in the Florida Keys, I took a visit to the Turtle Hospital.  The Turtle Hospital is a (501)(c)(3) charitable organization that rescues, rehabilitates and releases sea turtles back to their natural habitat. In addition, the turtle hospital conducts outreach programs to educate the public. Located at the Hidden Harbor Motel in Marathon, Florida, the Turtle Hospital works diligently to care for its patients, conduct research and raise environmental awareness.

During my visit with the Turtle Hospital I took a tour of the facilities, during the duration of which I learned about the many different species of sea turtles, as well as those most common in Florida. I also had the opportunity to visit the veterinary wing, which contains up-to-date medical equipment used to perform surgeries and care for injured and sick sea turtles. During the later portion of the tour I had the opportunity to visit with the sea turtles themselves and learn about their unique stories.

My experience was simply unforgettable. Witnessing such beautiful and peaceful creatures being cared for by such a caring group of individuals was inspiring. However, something did not settle right with me. I was happy to see that these sea turtles were being taken care of, but it was disturbing to know that some, if not most of the turtles were injured not by occurrences in their natural habitat, but because of humans.

During the tour, I learned that some of the most common injuries that these sea turtles are a direct result of human negligence. Some of the most common injuries are a result of sea turtles ingesting or entangling themselves in foreign materials: plastic bags, clear fishing line, fishing hooks and even rope. I also learned that sea turtles often sustain injuries due to boat-related incidents. The tour guide explained that, all too often, boaters travel out of marked boundaries, treading in shallow waters where many sea turtles and manatees are located, therefore causing injury and leaving these creatures defenseless in their natural habitat.

Recently, Pope Francis released a Papal Encyclical Letter titled “Laudato Si.” In it, he reflected upon a variety of topics but returned to the earth as a central theme.

The Pope discusses the importance of caring for the Earth and it’s creatures, and I was instantly reminded of my visit with the Turtle Hospital. According to Pope Francis, “environmental education should facilitate making the leap towards the transcendent which gives ecological ethics its deepest meaning. It needs educators capable of developing an ethics of ecology, and helping people, through effective pedagogy, to grow in solidarity, responsibility and compassionate care.”

The earth is a beautiful and curious place to be, and I hope that experiences like mine can bring others environmental awareness, but also do more than that; I hope that people can come to care for the creatures that walk and swim alongside us.


 

Photo by Gabrielle Garcia

About the Author

Sam Smith
The Beacon - Editor-in-Chief

6 Comments on "Student thoughts: Human flaws should breed environmental awareness"

  1. Thank you for writing such an informative and eye-opening article. Thomas Berry, the great late Eco-philosopher, argued that we should shift from a solidarity model (humans as caretakers) to a co-creation model (humans as part of a larger living ecosystem). Humans (especially in the "developed" world) have caused this planet much harm through their overly destructive consumption habits. It’s going to take a complete epistemological overhaul to begin healing the planet we call home. Thanks again for the article!

  2. Maria Rapaport | June 30, 2015 at 9:18 PM | Reply

    It is heartbreaking to witness the destruction of animal habitats and the harm to animals due to negligence on the part of humans. We must do a better job of educating the public and creating programs for young people to learn how to care for our precious world! Pope Francis

  3. Maria Rappaport | June 30, 2015 at 9:37 PM | Reply

    (Continued) It is impressive that Pope Francis has raised awareness about environmental issues like this.
    Thank you for writing about a pressing environmental issue in our society. Young men and women such as yourself are our hope for the future! As I commented before I feel there is a great need for more education and better programs to help us do a better job. Your visit to learn more about the sea turtles inspired you to think about this issue and write about it. These kinds of experiences are vital in bringing awareness. The sea turtles are especially beautiful and vulnerable! I was fortunate to witness a mother turtle come out and lay her eggs in the sand, then cover them and return to the ocean. I will never forget the experience.

  4. Your insight is as always inspiring! We all have a responsibility to bring ecological issues to the forefront of societal awareness. Pope Francis has made a commendable effort to bring us all to a higher level of action when it comes to the environment. We can not continue to live self centered lives ignoring the needs of nature and expect that ithe Earth will always meet all of our demands. Thank you!

  5. Your insight is as always inspiring! We all have a responsibility to bring ecological issues to the forefront of societal awareness. Pope Francis has made a commendable effort to bring us all to a higher level of action when it comes to the environment. We can not continue to live self centered lives ignoring the needs of nature and expect that ithe Earth will always meet all of our demands. Thank you!

  6. A wonderful article that hits home to me since I live in the Florida keys and have seen injured sea turtles caused by human negligence. I’ve seen turtles eating jelly fish and it reminded me that plastic bags could easily be mistaken for a jelly fish. Ms. Garcia’s example with the Turtle Hospital was an excellent choice to bring her point home of living in harmony with the other creatures on the earth and how education raises awareness.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.


*