Opinion/Letters: Brewster boardwalk will disturb peace and freedom of wildlife
The following is a poem and letter that I have written in regard to the Brewster boardwalk proposal.
More: Here's a new way the public might be able to get across Quivett Marsh to Cape Cod Bay
The Marsh and Wing Island
Tall green grasses wave back and forth on sunlit days,
short brushstrokes of grasses pushed this way and that by tidal waters
look like tousled hair, uncombed, unkempt.
So many shades and textures of green greet the eye
moving from a tunnel of phragmites out
into a wide open space of marsh
framed by creeks, sand dunes, and the shores of Wing Island.
Blue sky opens infinitely.
Heron and other water birds fish the tidal streams.
Osprey, year after year return to raise their young.
Small fish mature in protected spaces
while little crabs scurry in and out of grassy hiding places.
This precious marsh home to many seen and unseen
is the pristine beauty of open space
making me feel like I could fly free, up and out
circling round and round like a Red-Tailed Hawk,
heart free to roam untethered.
Crossing the marsh when tides are low
weather worn wooden boards squish in receding waters
echoing sounds of footsteps.
Moving from the vast open space of marsh
onto solid salt free land
into the forest of Wing Island,
I turn right, away from the main thoroughfare
while others head to the beach
or learn about the particulars of woodland environments
or the mysteries of mudflats.
I choose the slow quiet magic of the secret path
safely guarded by two tall old cedars.
Pausing, breathing deep belly breaths
I feel a sense of base, stability and connection into
Earth’s strength of being
balancing the active nature of sky and sun
both connect into the heart
energizing my whole being.
As I become aware of this living being
this sacred forest reaches out to return the connection.
Together we are swimming in this vast sea
of trees, sand, creek, marsh and undergrowth.
Birds sing, while wind moves through trees,
sometimes softly
other times creating a loud cacophony of competing notes
leaves rubbing, rattling, fluttering
mixing into a symphony of sound.
Sunlight and leaves create laced light patterns
on the forest floor
glittering, dancing, or utterly still.
I love this island that brings me such peace,
teaches me the profound lessons of connection
into the forest community
a Mycorrhizal webbed embeddedness into the whole of life.
I come away knowing that I am not separate but an integral part of a whole.
This beautiful Wing Island and marsh are a multifaceted classroom
where Nature teaches us unendingly when we stop to pay attention.
The following is from a sign at Fort Hill, National Seashore:
“Salt marshes are among the most productive and valuable ecosystems on earth. They support a diverse community of plants and animals adapted to the ebb and flow of the tide, providing essential food, refuge, and nursery habitat for many species.
“Salt marshes also perform a critical role in buffering the ocean storm surges. Salt marsh plants slow the flow of the tide, trapping water-borne sediment and contributing to elevation gain in the marsh. Decomposing vegetation becomes part of the food web or consolidates with trapped sediment into peat, furthering elevation gain.”
I am greatly disturbed by the proposal before the town of Brewster to construct a large boardwalk across this pristinely beautiful marsh, creating a human encumbrance that will dominate our view and disturb the peace and freedom of wildlife. While I understand the importance of giving people with disabilities access to the natural world there are simpler much less intrusive ways to achieve that end. Build a lovely observation platform at the foot of the Drummer Boy path, replete with lots of information about the marsh and good binoculars to closely observe what they see. Place the leftover money into the much more easily accessible property at First Light Beach. Leave the wildness alone to thrive and feed our souls with quiet connection.
Thank you for listening.
Carol Marcy, Brewster
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Opinion/Letters: Leave wilderness to thrive in Brewster
