My Plot Study: September 2010

My Plot’s Negative Human Activity

My plot, a shallow but wide wooded area, seems fairly secluded from any human harm. It’s located far behind my house and rarely does anyone from my family venture into it. However, even though it looks untouched by humans, the dominant race is subtly overpowering the beautiful God-made woodland in many different ways. First of all, trees are being cleared away for more house development. The newest house is located behind the forest, but it can almost be seen looking directly back from my house which shows how the woods are becoming less dense. Secondly, trash gets dumped around the edges of the forest which eventually makes its way into the middle parts of the woods. It makes it very difficult to enjoy the beauty when every five seconds a dirty piece of garbage is found. This garbage isn’t biodegradable, so it just sits there becoming dirty and disgusting. Animals wandering through may eat it and could easily get sick and die, too. A third human effect on the plot is trapping and hunting. Deer are a common inhabitant to my plot, and sometimes they attract bow hunters. These along with traps decrease the population of some species of animals; in addition to deer there are moles, squirrels, and other animals whose lives are being threatened. One more human effect is pool water. My neighbor has a pool filled with chlorine and other chemicals that needs to be drained annually, and the water goes directly into the ground; the pool is located very ,very close to the outside of my plot, so some of the chemicals that seep into the ground can affect the plants growing around that area.

Despite the bad conditions, so it seems, for my plot, there are many ways to act contrary toward it and help replenish and preserve the forest land. One way is to organize trash clean ups. Cleaning up the surrounding environment is a significant yet easy way to make it look eye pleasing and fresher, plus, taking away the clutter makes it a healthier habitat for animals. It also gives humans a view of what we are doing to make creation look, to be blunt, uglier. Another way to prevent human activity is to have my neighbors drain their pool in a real drain instead of into the ground. To add to these two ideas, putting up “NO TRESSPASSING” signs is a good way to keep people from hunting or trapping.

Overall, human activity mainly has a negative impact on my plot area. Our normal way of life has so many harmful attributes that it’s affecting every part of nature. God commands us in Genesis to “fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:28) We as Christians are called to be good stewards of the created world. Even though my plot is just a tiny portion of it all, helping it leads to greater acts of caring. Planting trees and other plants encourages growth and life and is easily done by humans; this can take the place of trash and pollution. We must fulfill God’s mission for us.

My plot is a wide forest area located in the very back of my yard. I chose this area because it is conveniently located and is densely packed so you can always find something interesting in it. Some of those interesting things include strange fungi, an old rotting apple tree, a brush pile (which is a GREAT habitat for all sorts of insects and moles), deer, and rabbits. I smell the lush aroma of pine trees and see sunlight peeking through cracks in the trees on a sunny afternoon. In addition with all the pleasing things, thorns grow all over the place, so it can be a hazard to entering in certain spots. Overall, I'm excited for this project because it gives me a chance to get outside, something I haven't been doing as much as I should, and it shows me the wonders of God's created world.