Guest Commentary: There is no place like home
By HERB SMITH
Special to The Eagle
Travel broadens the spirit and expands perspectives, at least that’s what the brochures all say.
We haven’t ventured far from our Pine Island home since the pandemic, but two weeks ago we left Florida behind and flew to Costa Rica, three hours by air from Miami and a bona fide international destination. Known for its ecotourism, stable democracy and varied climates and wildlife, it provided a respite from the constant machinations of our national politicians and MSNBC versus Fox News media wars.
We stayed at two locations, a resort on the slopes of the Arenal Volcano and another on the Pacific shore at Playa Taramindo, both locales popular among Norte Americano tourists. And we played that role to the hilt, zip lining down the volcano slope (check that off the bucket list), learning how to press sugarcane, process cacao into edible chocolate, trolling for Pacific sailfish (sadly, only a few bonito were foolish enough to strike), and, finally, embarking on a jungle river cruise to view the fauna and flora. It was on that river run that we had our Dorothy moment, you know, at the end of “The Wizard of Oz” when she repeats, “there’s no place like home.”
While Pine Island has no capuchin monkeys and few crocodiles, it does have great blue herons, night herons, ospreys, wood storks, ibis and egrets, all of which our guide touted and we saw in the Palo Verde National Park. While others on our boat from such states as Colorado, Wisconsin, New York and our neighbor to the north, Canada, marveled at the diverse wildlife, we reflected on the simple fact that we see so many of these species on any given boat trip to Pine Island Sound or Matlacha Pass.
As an added bonus, we have bottle-nose porpoises and manatees as well.
Sometimes we need to reminded that we live, work and play in a very special place. The Florida Dream that enticed millions to relocate from northern snowy climes has become overcrowded and over-developed zones of wall to wall condos along our coasts. Yet here there remains the Old Florida, measured and natural, reassuring and comforting within tidal rhythms and the simple pace of two seasons, rainy and dry.
The divisions that seemingly plague our nation are present here as well, but we would do well to remember that our problems should unite us. There’s no Democratic or Republican way to clean water. Conserving our natural heritage should make environmentalists of us all. Indeed, there are a host of organizations, such as the Calusa Land Trust, Captains for Clean Water, the Calusa Waterkeepers or the Conservancy of Southwest Florida to name a few, dedicated to that goal.
So, the lesson is clear. Get involved and stay involved. Our waters and our island home deserve it.
Herb Smith is a resident of St. James City.