Living in Shenandoah National Park, I watched the seasons change. I arrived during the final weeks of summer when the trees were covered in green leaves, and tourists were seldom seen. Within weeks, the leaves began to change as chlorophyll decomposed to reveal the brilliant pigments that create the beautiful Autumn scenery that we all love. Tourists flocked by the busloads. As the leaves fell from the trees leaving angular branched silhouettes against the sky, I began to pack my bags for my season at the park was coming to a close.
While the trees transitioned into their winter form, the wildlife continued on their autumn feasts. Every night outside my window, deer would dig through leaves and noisily chomp acorns as they chewed. I would regularly pass families of deer and they would do nothing more than look up from their grazing and then continue eating as if I weren't there.
I realized in Shenandoah National Park, the ban on hunting allowed deer to coexist with humans without fear. The park truly is a wildlife safe haven, and it was remarkable to observe.
Living in the park, I learned that some local people harbor lingering resentment towards the park. In the 1920's and 30's people living within the park boundaries were forced to leave in order to create Shenandoah National Park, and some animosity continues to exist today. Although the removal of local people was a controversial act, how else could such a vast, wild area exist today? In a world where urban centers continue to grow and spread, and suburbia continues to urbanize, wild places shrink and disappear. I believe it is our role to protect and nourish such wild areas for not only the health of wildlife populations, but for our younger generations to explore, enjoy, and cherish. Humanity has dominated much of the world, so isn't it our role to ensure pieces of the nature remain uninhabited and protected? Although the creation of Shenandoah National Park angered local inhabitants, the area exists today as a contiguous healthy ecosystem for all to enjoy, and I, along with the busloads of tourists, am grateful for it.
