The Biology Ponds

It’s very windy today. I’m sitting here beside the pond closest to the tower. I can see the wind produces ripples on the water that change direction ever so quickly. And if the water is blown hard enough, you might even get sprayed. But the turtles don’t seem to mind, neither do the fish. The turtles are strewn upon rocks that rise just above the water. The sun falls on their shells and skin and dries them. They are also not bothered by the passing students. Why do turtles move so slow? How can anyone move so slow in such a fierce world? Maybe they’re here to remind us, the students, to take time to enjoy the finer things in life. As for the fish, I can’t really see them through the glare and murkiness of the water. Sometimes they come up to the surface and I can make them out. Some are big with orange and white as their color. How appropriate. I wonder what they’re doing in the water. Perhaps eating, relaxing, or maybe even fighting. I haven’t seen many birds around. They’re probably keeping shelter from the wind. Aha! I just saw some pigeons flying around. Maybe they do enjoy flying in heavy winds. I don’t know. Well, no squirrels for me. I haven’t spotted any. Well maybe for the one I saw when I arrived here. My quote for the day is: "Natural selection, also leads to divergence of character: for the more organic beings diverge in structure, habits, and constitution, by so much the more can a large number be supported on the area,-of which we see proof by looking to the inhabitants of any small spot, and to the productions naturalised in foreign lands." Charles Darwin You can see what he means right here on campus. I will use squirrels and pigeons for examples. If they don’t adapt to their surroundings: students, cars, buildings, they will not survive. I understand that through the years the squirrels and pigeons have had their "characters" changed and are more comfortable around humans. If there was no "divergence of character," they would not be able to go out and forage for food. They would probably be very scared of humans and automobiles and eventually would die. My quote from Slovic is: "They are in fact completed creations (at least they seem to be, so much more than we) who are not likely to change: it is their nature to express themselves." Alice Walker She is referring to animals in this quote. We shouldn’t think that animals don’t have any feelings. They are "completed creations" just like us and we shouldn’t think that they’re inferior to us. They too express themselves, maybe even better than we do. If only we took the time to listen, we would probably have a better relationship with animals.