I live in paradise. On one end of my street is the Atlantic Ocean, and on the other end is the Indian River Lagoon. When my husband and I had our son, I was myopic in where I wanted to raise our family – right here on this speck of land between the ocean and the river.
Having the ability to raise my son on the water is an education in and of itself for him. And we are playing in or near the water nearly daily. For the safety of my son, however, we never go in the lagoon.
NEVER.
If it isn’t the sewage leaks, then it is the dead dolphins and manatees that give me pause.
The passing of Florida’s Water and Land Conservation Amendment in last night’s election has great significance to me. But it should be monumental for every Floridian because this water and land are finite.
Those who opposed the amendment – those who built the stucco home development paradoxically named something like “Pelican Preserve” on the land where wetlands were mitigated – you can now thank us who voted yes to Amendment 1 for your clean water.
In 2006, I made this image of a sea nettle jellyfish from a bridge over Lemon Bay. Hopefully all waterways in Florida will benefit from the passing of Amendment 1.
Written & photographed by Molly Dempsey
