Teen Ink

The Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area is home to thousands of plant and animal species. For the average Floridian, it is a glimpse into a last wilderness. It is a miracle that something so free can coexist with our busy, ­civilized lives.

Every other weekend, my mom and I pack our mountain bikes into the minivan and drive 30 minutes to Christmas, Florida. We sign in at the park, and are off into seemingly undiscovered frontiers. Being a human in this place feels like being an intruder into the intricately constructed lives of these beautiful, exotic organisms. Every step you take compacts earth that feels new to your feet. Your sneakers seem unwelcome on the path, but at the same time you haven’t the heart to turn away.

It’s not a zoo; it’s a new world. The footprints of a wild Florida panther are more enthralling than those of one behind bars. They are free. Everything is free here. The smell of the marshy water and the slither of a lizard in the leaves all blend into a beat inside your head that makes you want to dance and sing. Though quiet to a human ear, when you listen like a creature, you can hear a sound that rediscovers your inner animal.

People have always been fascinated by nature. We need it but still separate ourselves from the beauty that built us. Time is woven around our universe like a ball of thread and in the center is life. Organisms are reaching out to one another without knowing it. That is nature.

The slim piece of land that is the Tosohatchee is a complex ecosystem that is forever changing. A new planet that you never knew existed thrives here. A microcosm, a society of living things, flourishes in front of your eyes. Flora and fauna grow from the tops of palm trees into the mud at your feet. And when you leave, the reverberating peace of the natural world leaves a message in your head.