Скачать или смотреть Ancient Wisdom: #4 The Truth about Swamps

Western civilization historically considered swamps to be places of evil where demons spread disease, misery and death. Swamps have suffered more nature-hating behavior than any other habitat on earth. The average citizen of mid-ninetheenth century America held the local swamp in about as high esteem as rattlesnakes, chicken hawks and wolves. It was your civic duty to drain the swamp and put land to a useful purpose, such as farming. We were a nation of farmers who wanted to till every available inch of soil.

By eliminating swamps men could also show off their survival skills in the most wild, impenetrable and dangerous place on earth. Even today, people have an emotional reaction to swamps. You might have seen widely successful TV reality shows that feature "Swamp People" and "Survivalman." Even more viewers watch when the participants are "Naked and Afraid!" — surviving the danger of a wet wilderness.

Alternatively, swamps are romanticized. If swamps could be said to have a patron saint, it would be the 19th century philosopher and naturalist Henry David Thoreau. For Thoreau, the swamp is the strength and the marrow of nature. The strength of nature, did not lie in the hard bones of dry land, but rather in the soft marrow of wetlands. Thoreau called the wetlands the liquor of nature which feeds the body. (Postmodern wetlands: culture, history, ecology by Rodney James Giblett, Edinburgh University Press, 1996, http://thoreau.eserver.org/swamps.htm..., http://books.google.com/books?id=AEV4...)

From a scientific viewpoint, wetlands are important for many reasons. See: http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/wetlands/..., http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/we...
They prevent flooding by holding water much like a sponge.
They accept water during storms when water levels are high and slowly release it when water level is low.
Wetlands are important for groundwater exchange.
Wetlands control erosion.
Wetlands slowly release nutrients into the ecosystem, providing food for plants and animals.
Many animals live in wetlands, especially during migration and reproduction.

Some of the values associated with wetlands are personal and are yours alone, whether they be: recreation, photography, birding or simply quiet time in a restful place.

Videography by Ken Kramm, January 2014, east Texas, USA, Canon Vixia HF G10, Final Cut Pro X. Public Domain picture of Henry Davd Thoreau, "Darkness Speaks" and "Infados"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0vhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/b.... Direct links: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-.... http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-.... Chikawa Conroe, Aztec Dancers. Voice of Henry David Thoreau by Jonathan Kramm.