Swampy Plant Variation

Swampy Plant Variation, originally uploaded by colemama.

A photographic stroll on the boardwalk through the swampy side of Freedom Park at the beginning of rainy season brings out new plant life and reveals beauty in old. Though not all is identifiable, there's a couple of cypress knees, the remaining stump of a cypress tree (presumably connected to those nearby knees) and the seedling of a new tree. The blurry moss in the foreground is less evident than the bright orange fungi, but both point to excessive moisture.

These images are such a gift of our natural environment and, for the curious, can lend to all sorts of study and research. The surrounding ecosystems are so under-appreciated and yet, we mimic them in our own lives...and could learn from them, as well. Learning can take place anywhere anytime. In fact, it is likely that more learning takes place outside the conventional classroom than inside it - so what exactly is the purpose of today's educational institution? Freedom Park, Naples, FL