Discovering Biophilia at Tony Tank Pond

           

              Oak leaves and loblolly pine needles crunch below my feet as I walk down the partially hidden path and emerge beneath an old beech tree, stretching high over the other foliage. Names and pictures are carved into the trunk from memories made here long ago. The ground is slightly angled towards the bank of the pond where the tide has retreated and left muddy roots exposed in its wake. Across the water shiny green lily pads glimmer in the sun, as well as the turtles who poke their heads out of the water to feel the warm rays. It is always calm and peaceful here, with only crickets or the occasional honk of a Canada Goose to be heard. “Biophobia”, which literally translates to a fear of nature, is a hard concept to imagine in a place like this, yet it demands my attention nonetheless as I walk alongside Tony Tank Pond. The concept would likely baffle me more had I not experienced it myself. As a child I was in love with the outdoors, but things changed as I grew older, and I began to waste more and more time inside on the computer. It wasn’t until I moved to New York City where there is such a lack of nature that I began to truly appreciate the natural world. It is nature that releases our stresses and worries of everyday life, and shows us that our problems may not be as big as we think. 

            As Anthony Weston points out in Back To Earth, society has become obsessed with, “the closed circle of human life alone.” (Weston 85) He calls this loss of interest in the more than human world “desolation”. (Weston 85) We have changed the landscape of our country to work to our advantage, and in the process ruined vast swaths of wildlife habitat and driven many species extinct. How can we continue to inhabit this world while turning a blind eye to its well-being? Without appreciation and respect for our environment, it is easy to push its importance to the backburner. This lack of appreciation may be the beginning of the “free rider” complex. With so many people inhabiting the Earth, it is easy for some to benefit from others hard work. For example, if everyone littered the world would be covered in trash. But if most people are responsible with their waste, a few free riders would be able to get away with littering. This example is something I encounter a lot at Tony Tank. Along the path there is always an abundance of trash nestled in the leaves and briars. Coffee cups, soda bottles, cigarette packs, candy wrappers, articles of clothing and old tires. Anything you could imagine tossed carelessly aside, to eventually be washed into the Wicomico River. This could have greater impacts than we originally could have imagined. Currently the world’s largest landfill is located in the Pacific Ocean. This clockwise, slow moving pile of trash known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is twice the size of Texas. Ninety percent of trash in our oceans is plastic, which is unable to biodegrade.  This is incredibly destructive for marine life that mistakes this material for food. Additionally these small pieces of plastic have the ability to soak up toxic chemicals, which is ingested by filter feeders and subsequently makes its way up the food chain (Silverman). Unfortunately the trash we see on the surface, like I encounter along the shores of Tony Tank, may not be the end of our problem. Trash that washes into the water and sinks to the bottom goes unnoticed by humans, but poses the biggest threat to wildlife. An area that may look relatively well kept could have even more problems beneath its waters. In addition to ingesting these items, animals may also become trapped or entangled in them as well.

            This carelessness is not sustainable for the animals and plant life here. The Wicomico River, into which Tony Tank feeds, is already contaminated with excess nutrients, sediments, and toxic contaminates. A toxicity study on the river shows that sediment-poor water from the sewage treatment plant upstream was “very toxic”, which contributed to “slightly toxic” waters downstream, where it crosses with Tony Tank pond (“Toxicity Study”).  Additionally, an article in the Journal of Hazardous Materials from 2005 found that the Wicomico River is considered one of the most polluted rivers in Maryland (“Endocrine Disruptor”). This is based on levels of nutrients, metals, and micro-organisms. Even normal day to day activities can grow to have an impact as big as a sewage treatment plant. The perfect green lawns that surround Tony Tank can leak fertilizer runoff into the waters, as well as fuel from boats. I have consistently noticed a shiny patch of oil runoff during my weekly visits to the pond, right under the bridge. Something as common as driving our cars everyday can even contribute to this habitat destruction. Two of the main toxicants in Wicomico River sediment-poor water were ammonia and heavy metals. One negative side effect from ammonia is soil acidification. When ammonia reaches the surface of the soil it can react with water to create ammonium. It is also able to react with other particulates causing smog, eutrophication, and creates changes in the ecosystem that disrupt the delicate balance of an area (Impacts of Ammonia). Heavy metals on the other hand are known carcinogens and can cause multiple organ damage in humans (Tchounwou, Yedjou, Patlolla, and Sutton).

            I have spent the last two months growing incredibly attached to this body of water. I love the way the tide sneaks in to hide the lily pads from view, and the way the turtles sunbathe near the bridge on bright sunny days. When I drive by and see another person fishing or admiring the view, although it is rare, it always brings a smile to my face to know that we share the same appreciation and respect for this land. It is almost as if we are sharing a secret that others have not yet discovered. I have begun to treat it differently as well. I could no longer walk by and ignore the litter strewn around. It became my responsibility to pick up the trash along the road, in the forest, and along the bank. As I drove by one day on my way to school, I noticed one of the turtles I had spent hours observing crossing the road. A huge ford truck passed me going in the other direction, and I immediately knew I had to pull over to assist this turtle in its crossing. This land had become a part of me, and I couldn’t bear to see it trashed, abused, or its inhabaitants crushed. The more time I spent at Tony Tank Pond, the more my biophobia transformed into a deep respect of the natural world.

            In today’s society, how can we promote biophilia? Biophilia is a term created by Edward O. Wilson in 1984. Wilson defines it as, “the innate tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes.” (Wilson 1) He believes that we are born with an inner desire to associate with nature, and that this affiliation is crucial to mental development. In today’s world of abundant social media, computers, and TV, how can we encourage others to embrace biophilia? It is clear that biophobia can only lead to destruction in the long run. If the free rider manner of living became the norm, who would be there to uphold our values? Who would lead by example, and teach others respect, appreciation, and wonder for the world around us? Fortunately, there seems to be a solution to this complicated concept. As David Orr writes in Earth in Mind, our society is focused on educating the younger generation to become competitive in the global economy. However this will only lead to the destruction of a habitable planet. We must instead strive to educate future generations with a well-rounded and ecologically centered education that will allow them to become educated on, and thus earn appreciation and respect for, the planet. Orr writes, “Biophobia is not ok because it is the foundation for a politics of domination and exploitation.” (Orr 136) We must strive to end this exploitation, beginning with the younger generations.

Natalie Cieri

Works Cited

Gupta, Gian, and Nelum Dorabawila. "Endocrine Disrupter—estradiol—in Chesapeake Bay         Tributaries." Journal of Hazardous Waste, Feb. 2005. Web. 7 Nov. 2015.

Gupta, Gian, and Makesh Karuppiah. "Toxicity Study of a Chesapeake Bay Tributary - Wicomico River." Chemosphere, Mar. 1996. Web. 07 Nov. 2015

"Impacts of Ammonia." Impacts of Ammonia. Colorado State University, 20 June 2008. Web. 25             Nov. 2015.

Orr, David W. Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect.        Washington, DC: Island, 1994. Print.

Silverman, Jacob. "Why Is the World's Biggest Landfill in the Pacific Ocean?" AccessScience         (n.d.): n. pag. 12 Dec. 2013. Web.

Tchounwou, Paul B., Clement G. Yedjou, Anita K. Patlolla, and Dwayne J. Sutton. "Heavy         Metals Toxicity and the Environment." EXS. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d.     Web. 25 Nov. 2015.

Weston, Anthony. Back to Earth: Tomorrow's Environmentalism. Philadelphia: Temple UP,       1994. Print.

 Wilson, Edward O. Biophilia. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1984. Print.