This was my first time going to Six Mile Cypress Slough, I had no idea it was so close to FGCU. When first pulling into the preserve I noticed right away that the environment was creative because there was a bird sculpture in the parking lot. When we started to walk on the board walk right away we saw wildlife around us. We saw a white bird and then a baby alligator then as we kept walking we saw different types of birds and fish. I loved how the board walk opened up to the lake and we could see the complicity of the preserve. The weather was perfect and the walk was just long enough, I enjoyed how there were many shaded areas to stop, sit, and look at the scenery. There was nothing that I didn't enjoy I really loved going to the preserve and seeing the wildlife and the scenery. We saw woodpeckers and turtles as well as many of the plant species we covered in class such as the Cypress Tree, Aerobic plants, Slash Pines, and cabbage palms. The slough is such a unique place in Lee County because it is the only preserve that didn't let loggers come in and destroy all of the cypress trees, they saved the area and then saved the land from highway construction. It is one of the very few places in Lee County that is a natural preserve and is home to such wildlife. It is also unique in the fact that a high school group called the Monday Group started the preserve and it is now on the Conservation 2020 list that is going to be voted on this coming Fall. When we have discussions in class about conservation I understand the importance but when I saw the preserve it finally connected. When we have discussions about biodiversity and the importance of sustainability the slough is what we are fighting for. The purity of nature and protecting wildlife is what we need to instill in our society and the younger generations.
