St. Francis and Ecology

Are we protecting our flora and fauna?

We are located mainly in the State of Florida, a state known for its many threatened and endangered species. What can we, as Secular Franciscans do to protect these species from becoming rarer?

To the left is the Florida Panther, known to live in Collier County and in the Everglades. Precisely how many are left is know but to a few, but there aren't many! Some of the species are lost to interbreeding with other panther species, but mostly they are eradicated through injury, sickness and death.

The West Indian Manatee depicted in the picture on the right is with her young. This species remains threatened. It is a slow-moving mammal that is frequently injured by sport boating, propellers that do not have a propeller guard, and so if you're into power-boating, please take it easy in slow-speed zones in the Florida waters.

One of my favorite species is the threatened Florida Scrub Jay. This bird occurs in the Vero Beach area, and many other places in Florida. Legend has it that this species used to sit without fear on the backs of large grazing animals, thousands of years ago. That is why, it is believed, that if you offer a peanut, the bird will fly to your open hand. Of course feeding these is not legal. As they get more used to people they are therefore more threatened. The greatest threat to this species, however, is the loss of suitable breeding habitat. The habitat they exist in is generally also very desirable for real estate purposes.

The American Woodstork also occurs in Vero Beach. It is frequently seen along ditches or in wetlands. Again, loss of habitat is a major reason for the decline of this species.

The Green Sea Turtle (left) and the other two Sea Turtles, the Loggerhead and the Kemp's Ridley (maybe extinct?) occur in the Florida area. They nest on beaches and the tiny young often lose their sense of direction when trying to head to sea after they are born. Concerned communities use shaded outdoor lighting on boardwalks along beaches to prevent this from happening. As Franciscans, if we see these species along areas of beach with no reduced lighting, we should point that out to the community using the bright lights.

There are also a number of plant species that are on the protected or endangered list. As Franciscans in Florida, we can learn more about them to make sure we don't accidentally step on them, when off the beaten path, and if we are teachers we could teach our students more about them.

One of those species is the Snakeroot, pictured on the right.

And, below, you'll find a nice picture of a Ziziphus, a plant species that occurs in central Florida.

There is lots of information to be found if you search for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered Species. The pictures used on this page came from government sources.

Let us continue to pray that people will use their heads when developing real estate or other necessary but sometimes ill-advised development that these beautiful animals or plants are not destroyed. They are God's gift to all of us!