What are they doing to my Wetlands? (no pics)

Harryb

Hi y'all,

Most of you probably know that I do most of my shooting in the Viera Wetlands. The wetlands are a 200 acre site of interconnected ponds called cells. Its located behind and is part of a water treatment plant.

The best thing about the place is that most folks don't know it exists. Its at the end of the road, inside of the the plant and there are no signs advertising its existence. When I arrived down here 3 years ago the road passed open fields and had virtually no traffic on it.

The wetlands themselves were not easy to deal with. The roads were rough and bumpy. When it was dry it was extremely dusty and your car and equipment was coated with a fine layer of grit by the end of a day. If it was rainy it was very muddy and your car really got coated. Then on a really good day you had the odors from the plant wafting over the place. Only shooters and birders would come to the place. On weekdays I often was the only person there except for one or two other shooters.

Then they started to build on the road. First came the accursed Heritage Isle (a development for active 55+ seniors). :rolleyes Then came the golf course for the active 55+ seniors, then came a super Church (close to the size of our Walmart) and now a medical center. This unfortunately started to bring joggers and dog wakers into the wetlands. They were a pain but semi tolerable.

Today I looked at my local paper and on the front page I was horrified to see a story entitled "Viera Wetlands Ceremony opens gazebo, butterfly garden". A friggin gazebo in my swamp!!!!!! :bash Even worst they got an $11,000 grant to plant wildflowers along the shoreline. :puke

It was a beautiful swamp before they started to mess with it. If they keep this up the place may become popular with people. :cry

bfjr

Sorry Harry but not an unusual story.

over here the same is done

Ballonna Wetlands used by wild and untamed. No one went there but us Photogs. Now 2 to 3 mill homes line the area. Electronic Arts made a deal with the city and condos, senior homes, golf, tennis, bball all begin to tear up what was a wild and bodacious place. Oh and I hope those homeowners know there sittin on the biggest pocked of Methane Gas on the West Side :wow

At Bolsa they begun to do same

Sepulveda Basin is still fairly wild except there you better start packin heat along with your gear :gun2 and not for the critters with feathers or legs that count more then 2 !!

ShepsMom

I'm sorry Harry, this is just a sad part of un"human" side. Money, money and more money!! Do they care about anything wild, of course not, why would they?? As long as their pockets full of money, they don't give a damn about anything else.
I live on a golf course community, we bought a house because we enjoy the view and have no neighbors behind us. We have wild life here, deer, eagles, owles, sandhills, foxes, gators, all kinds of birds, etc... After 5 years of being here, we finding out that golf course is getting sold to a developer to build homes. WTF??? Why would you destroy wild habitat?? The whole neighborhood been fighting against it, paying to the lawyers, collecting money, taking pictures of wild life, etc.... Nope, they WIIL build, they will destroy my view and habitat of so many animals... It makes me seek to see how our nature is destroyed by greed!! It's awful. I hope they rot in hell!! :

JenGrace

I'm sorry to hear about your woes, Harry. I'm glad I at least got a chance to see it before they "beautify" it.

Sam

Today I looked at my local paper and on the front page I was horrified to see a story entitled "Viera Wetlands Ceremony opens gazebo, butterfly garden". A friggin gazebo in my swamp!!!!!! :bash Even worst they got an $11,000 grant to plant wildflowers along the shoreline. :puke

I love it! If they like wild flowers in a swamp, maybe I could get a government grant to plant crocodiles in Yosemite National Park?

Sam

Osprey Whisperer

I'm hoping they put in a pizza stand that serves pineapple pizza and beer.

Dumb people ruin a lot of things.

riddim_maker

Sorry about your imminent loss Harry. Wildlife doesn't have a voice and those of us who support it are too few or too poor...or both.

jwear

welcome to So. Calif. Harry but you still do not need a 2nd and 3rd language so buy a tank to shoot from like Ben and I do and you will be fine

gluwater

You all know what this means don't you? Harry can't drive the wrong way down the one way roads anymore . That's really terrible to hear Harry. I hope the increase in visitors won't scare away any of the birds. Vierra truely is a special place. Next thing you know they'll be putting in a drive-through Starbucks :cry.

gus

Sorry to hear it harry...really i am. Some places are better left alone. We are bombarded with rules here & sometimes i wonder if its just a little too over the top but thankgod they vermently protect wildlife areas here.

Maestro

Development, development, development....Your problem is part of much wider problem. I understand that development must occur, but just how much more can this Earth take especially in th US? I suppose the developers are rationalizing that the area was just some swamp land behind a water treatment plant and that they have now increased its beauty and value. I don't have an answer though, just worries. I'm sorry but if it makes you feel any better, this is happening everywhere.

Gale

Well Harry,
It is time to start feeding the alligators to make them a little more people friendly.
Maybe we can rid a few of the PESTS......

Harryb

ShepsMom wrote:

I'm sorry Harry, this is just a sad part of un"human" side. Money, money and more money!! Do they care about anything wild, of course not, why would they?? As long as their pockets full of money, they don't give a damn about anything else.
I live on a golf course community, we bought a house because we enjoy the view and have no neighbors behind us. We have wild life here, deer, eagles, owles, sandhills, foxes, gators, all kinds of birds, etc... After 5 years of being here, we finding out that golf course is getting sold to a developer to build homes. WTF??? Why would you destroy wild habitat?? The whole neighborhood been fighting against it, paying to the lawyers, collecting money, taking pictures of wild life, etc.... Nope, they WIIL build, they will destroy my view and habitat of so many animals... It makes me seek to see how our nature is destroyed by greed!! It's awful. I hope they rot in hell!! :

Its the same all over Florida. Its quite sad. We come down here to get away from urban sprawl and for something different and then we recreate the place we came from. My area is looking more and more like Long Island with each passing day.

Three years ago the wldlife activity was much higher at the wetlands than it is now. That's because all the areas surrounding the wetlands have been built upon. Now they are going to make the wetlands more attractive to people and they will end up making it less attractive to the wildlife.

The area will lose $ in the end because none of the geniuses have any idea how many out of state shooters and bird watchers come in the area to see the wildlfie in the wetlands. I am constantly hosting out of state shooters who come in to shoot at the wetlands, not to mention our yearly wildlife shoot. This outside $ won't be made up by the local joggers, dog walkers, etc who are starting to infest the wetlands.

Osprey Whisperer

Harryb wrote:

Its the same all over Florida. Its quite sad. We come down here to get away from urban sprawl and for something different and then we recreate the place we came from. My area is looking more and more like Long Island with each passing day.

Three years ago the wldlife activity was much higher at the wetlands than it is now. That's because all the areas surrounding the wetlands have been built upon. Now they are going to make the wetlands more attractive to people and they will end up making it less attractive to the wildlife.

The area will lose $ in the end because none of the geniuses have any idea how many out of state shooters and bird watchers come in the area to see the wildlfie in the wetlands. I am constantly hosting out of state shooters who come in to shoot at the wetlands, not to mention our yearly wildlife shoot. This outside $ won't be made up by the local joggers, dog walkers, etc who are starting to infest the wetlands.

Power of the press...baby. COntact your local news. Let them....and the bozos in charge of Vierra. Get all the folks on these photo forums to contct them... MAKE SOME NOISE. About the only way to combat stupidity like this.

Find one of those creepy politicians..who's a tree hugger and let them know. COntct your local birding clubs, etc. Get enough to complain..and you just might reverse the tide.

If that doesn't work...I'll photoshop some images of the owners/powers that be..in compormising positions....and post them on the internet.

jeff lapoint

Bird Man Photographer wrote:

Power of the press...baby. COntact your local news. Let them....and the bozos in charge of Vierra. Get all the folks on these photo forums to contct them... MAKE SOME NOISE. About the only way to combat stupidity like this.

Find one of those creepy politicians..who's a tree hugger and let them know. COntct your local birding clubs, etc. Get enough to complain..and you just might reverse the tide.

If that doesn't work...I'll photoshop some images of the owners/powers that be..in compormising positions....and post them on the internet.

Harry,

I'm really sorry to hear about this and I can imagine your frustration is akin to that we westies feel over Bolsa and Ballona.

That being said, is your post a much needed venting (understandable) or were you looking for suggestions/ to get involved?

I'll be the first to tell you that I know nothing about this sort of thing or what a PITA it most likely is, but I would imagine you are a fairly well recognized member of that community and with an active Audubon chapter ya never know. Shoot, look at all this exposure we get on Dgrin in less than 12 hours. I dunno, I'm just sayin'

-jeff

dragon300zx

Well folks it seems I came here just in time. Harry I have the answer. This will deffinatley solve all the problems.

You see the main factor here is that you and the birders and other photographers are going about this back to nature thing all wrong. Ya'll need to stop driving around the wetlands, stop wearing all these high tech clothes too. If ya'll start wakling round the wetlands with just your gear and some white old boxers on with black socks and thats all anyone is wearing in the wetlands I assure you all these pencil pushing yuppies will find some other place to beautify and jog at.

Plus they say it will help you get even more in touch with nature. barbbarbthumbthumbclapclaprofl

Or seriously get some tree huggers and the audubon society involved. I love those wetlands and I don't even live there. I would hate to see them ruined by some malibu barbie wanna bee who can't stand a jog through a real swamp when she could have wildflowers planted there.

JohnDC

Commiseration
I know how you feel, Harry. I was born (1944) and raised on the coast of Southern California. I watched the coastal wetlands of Orange County get filled or turned into sterile marinas. It is still happening. Many people don't know what we have lost and are losing.

I think we photographers could contribute more to public awareness if we could find ways to for our pictures to get to more people. Look at the high quality of shots posted here--and the lessons, like rescuing the osprey. Maybe a Viera Wetlands website with lots of search words and links to maximize internet visibility? How about the same for Bolsa Chica, the San Diego lagoons, etc., for Southern California? How about PowerPoint slide shows for schools, pre-packaged as a curriculum for teachers? I bet we have a lot of willing contributors visiting here every day....

larry l

It's always sad when an area is destroyed, principally for the sake of making money, and so many worlds, totally unknown or unrecognized by most people, are lost. You lost a place to shoot photographs and a place you understood and loved. The wildlife, both flora and fauna, lost their homes, their worlds, for all practical intents and purposes their planets. Most of them, especially the flora and herps, don't have the option to move on.

I've worked in conservation, both internationally and locally, for over 30 years and as the population expands places like this pay the price. I see it everywhere, everyday. It's quite ironic that you post this one day after Earth Day.

There are ways to stop this type of thing but they require involvement, commitment, time and energy, things that most of us are not willing to donate until we're faced with a loss like the one you describe. By that time it's usually too late for that particular spot and so most people just lick their wounds, find another spot and move on. I urge you that no matter what happens at Viera Wetlands that you get involved with wetland/nature conservation, especially at the local level. We have stopped projects by developers, parks departments and government agencies through public involvement, hard work and relentless pressure. As a nature photographer (and a very good one!) you have a some great tools and weapons for this type of fight but you cannot do it alone. Find or establish the right group then put you shoulders to the stone and start pushing it along. It will never end. You'll win some and lose some. But if we all just sit back and watch it happen, decrying the destruction only when it happens to us, we'll lose it all. Of this I have no doubt. Good luck. I urge everyone to become involved. Photographers have a lot to offer. Put principles before personalities, the goal before the ego and always remember that you're on the right and just side.

Image Maker

JohnDC wrote:

I know how you feel, Harry. I was born (1944) and raised on the coast of Southern California. I watched the coastal wetlands of Orange County get filled or turned into sterile marinas. It is still happening. Many people don't know what we have lost and are losing.

I think we photographers could contribute more to public awareness if we could find ways to for our pictures to get to more people. Look at the high quality of shots posted here--and the lessons, like rescuing the osprey. Maybe a Viera Wetlands website with lots of search words and links to maximize internet visibility? How about the same for Bolsa Chica, the San Diego lagoons, etc., for Southern California? How about PowerPoint slide shows for schools, pre-packaged as a curriculum for teachers? I bet we have a lot of willing contributors visiting here every day....

I agree with this idea. As a former teacher (I'm currently staying home with my kids) I can say that there is a lot of power in what children say and do. With teachers and their students in on the "conservation act" and some publicity, you might find that more eyes look at what is going on with this particular area in a sympathetic view instead of just another person complaining. Good luck!
Deb

wxwax

Harryb wrote:

Its the same all over Florida.

My dad bought a place in Palm Coast in the mid-90's. It was a development, but not a large one.

The place has mushroomed, almost become a Jacksonville bedroom community. All traces of trees and wildlife are being erased. On the one hand, I deplore it. On the other hand, my dad helped create the problem by moving there, so it seems hypocritical to begrduge others the opportunity.

Louis Champan

Truly very sorry to hear this news Harry. Viera is the one spot that I make sure I always visit when coming to Florida, no matter where our final destination is.
During MI4 you could see what was beginning to happen. Between the housing, golf course, church and whatever else, like you say it won't be long before the place is so commerical the wildlife will be gone.

As for the butterfly deal, unbelievable. Again, as you've experienced and said, Viera was unique in that you could go out there and really feel a little bit of nature at its best. I'm afraid that's gone when you have to side step a few dog walkers on the roads.

Well lets hope it takes a quite a few more years before they ultimately civilize the area with more buildings and refreshment stands.

That's my two cents worth.

Louie

bfjr

Not to make light of a serious situation.

Man's march to it's envitable end is delayable but alas inevitable (yes sp)

I think if we can train a few these to chase them pesky dog walkers, developers, joggers, all around pain in the keisters

Maybe Alfred Hitchock was right, this may be the only way to handle mans encrouchment :wow

I mean should be not to hard, they chase almost anything now


Oh yeah this thread needs an image or two or ..............

Paavo

Well, maybe we'll have one more place to shoot butterflies and flower macros.

ShepsMom

Kevin, these are amazing shots! I'd rather shoot birds, butterflies are tough subjects, and can you imagine overpopulation of bugs without birds? Yikes!!!

Trish323

Remembering My first trip to Viera...
This is a post I made July 7th 2004 after making my first visit to a very quiet and peaceful Wetlands. Back then it was a well kept secret...


"Hi All,


I was speaking with a guy over the weekend who is into wildlife photography (he uses film). He works for probably the most well known wildlife photographer in this area. In conversation he told me about a place I needed to see. He said the wildlife and water birds are abundant! So today my curiosity got the best of me and off I went to find this place.
I found it and looked around for the place he said I should sign in...nothing around so I did what anybody would do. I wrote my name in the dirt and the time I arrived ( wouldn't you have done this??...).
The sign on a info board made sure to let me know about the cottonwood snakes and gators! Ok, well informed and very spooked, I ventured through the gate in my car.. There was no way I would be getting out of my car! I was alone, didn't have a cell phone and I thought this possibly isn't a good idea, but my camera was sitting in view on the seat next to me and beginning to whimper.
There is a one car dirt road that trails all around and I was relieved that I could remain in my car to explore. This area is a wetland and maintained as an enviromental study area by the government. The well known Floridian Wildlife photographer Jim Angy has shot some great stuff here..a Panther which was used on billboards all over Florida is just one that comes to mind.
I was so excited to have finally found an area that will challenge me ( and force me to upgrade my camera and equipment! ) I thought, now Harry is really going to give his new lens a workout here! Once he spends a little time here he will probably not want to shoot anywhere else!
I was not prepared today to do any serious shooting, my tripod was in my husbands car....
At one point I just had to stop and get out of my car. I looked around at the vast land surrounding me and thought if I screamed as loud as I could, I would not be heard by another human. I was totally alone and miles away from civilization! It dawned on me that this was possibly the first time in my 49 yrs. on this earth that I had ever been so alone! What a wonderful feeling! For about 2 hours it was me and nature. An eagle, herons, and birds I had never seen before. I snapped a few shots but was much more interested in exploring and looking for what I would find around the next bend. It was also the middle of the day and the worst time to try to shoot anything in the bright sunlight. Not having my tripod and also not wanting to be out of my car to be eaten by a gator (yikes) I figured it was best to just scout and plan a shoot when I wasn't alone.
The point of sharing this story is that having a passion...for photography....can bring one friendship, beauty, serenity and a wonderful sense of well being. Although it can be perceived as an obsession by some, having a camera and the desire to record what our eye sees provides us a magnificant opportunity to see who we really are.
Ten years ago if anyone had told me that I would experience a feeling of complete serenity while sitting in the middle of a Florida Wetland I would have laughed and said you're nuts! My passion brought me to this place.
My camera has become an extension of who I am, and my passion for photography has taught me so much more about who I really am than any job or title, or status I may have had.
Today I experienced a lightbulb moment. I was completely humbled.

We can complain about how hard life is, all the things we want and don't have, the cost of living...and on and on. Put me in solitude for two hours with nothing to do but observe wildlife, and suddenly I get it.
We make our own life. We create what we live. Life is made up to be simple. We complicate it.
I love you, Camera.

Thanks for listening, I needed to share. "

Many wonderful days have been spent with some very dear friends; as you can see i never wanted to leave until I forced too by no light.

ShepsMom

Thank you Trish for sharing such a beautiful story. Your picture worth a thousand words. What we humans need is peace for a coulple of hours a day, to bring us closer to simplicity of life at it's best. We stopped appreciating all the beauty surrounding us, we don't think about it, we forget it exists. Wildlife photographers are the ones who trully will be missing what someday will be lost. How sad and ironic, it's everywhere but we so fail to notice it. All i can say is Wow, it will never stop amaze me, what humanty doing to itself.

Trish323

Hi Kevin!

beautiful Shots! Do you recognize the one I posted?:D

ian408

Harry,

I got you covered. Get the plant lady to start nearest the water. You
know, the one with those swimmy ugly things

I think you'll be left alone after an appropriate amount of time has
passed....

Sorry to hear about this.

Paavo

Trish323 wrote:

Hi Kevin!

beautiful Shots! Do you recognize the one I posted?:D

I do indeed. I have one just like it. I unfortunately was never able to post mine because yours won the awards (and you posted yours first :cry). That was one fantastic sunset and the perfect ending to a wonderful day spent shooting with one of the finest lady photographers I've ever had the pleasure of shooting with. We need to do it again, that's for sure!

Loved your old post and I certainly can relate to it, especially about Viera.

Trish323

H,
Guess we'll have to figure out plan "B". I don't mind if our wetlands gets "beautified" but the folks with the dogs.....they need to go somewhere else! Pretty soon they will close the roads to car traffic...just so that the big yellow buses have the right of way:cry ..Plan "B" needs to be we become proactive in protecting our beloved wildlife. How about a protest????

Harryb wrote:

Its the same all over Florida. Its quite sad. We come down here to get away from urban sprawl and for something different and then we recreate the place we came from. My area is looking more and more like Long Island with each passing day.

Three years ago the wldlife activity was much higher at the wetlands than it is now. That's because all the areas surrounding the wetlands have been built upon. Now they are going to make the wetlands more attractive to people and they will end up making it less attractive to the wildlife.

The area will lose $ in the end because none of the geniuses have any idea how many out of state shooters and bird watchers come in the area to see the wildlfie in the wetlands. I am constantly hosting out of state shooters who come in to shoot at the wetlands, not to mention our yearly wildlife shoot. This outside $ won't be made up by the local joggers, dog walkers, etc who are starting to infest the wetlands.

Harryb

Thanks for all the responses. I would have responded earlier but I've been in St. Augustine for the last two days.

I've considered organizing a protest but one had to pick one's battles carefully and this one would be hard to fight. First the wetlands are human made. They were created by the water treatment's plant former environmental director who had the foresight to see that they could create something wonderful with their water runoff. The problem is that the wetlands are part of the water treatment plant and not public property. If the plant decided to do so they could just close the wetlands to all human traffic. Its not like conservation land or a wildlife refuge.

Secondly its hard to protest butterflies, wild flowers, and a gazebo. Now if they were putting up a parking lot that would be another story. They are just making it more attractive for other folks. The problems will come from the result of more traffic at the location.

Trish communicated the magic of the place as well as anyone could. Hopefully this will be the end of their gentrification efforts. When they start to propose snack bars, etc will be the time to protest. Hopefully it won't be necessary and they will learn just to leave nature alone.

I mean






nature is doing pretty good here and it doesn't need our help or our gazebos