George was a bit of a loner. As for his past, I really don’t know, as I only noticed him in the last month or so, always perched in the same area, every morning. Unlike most in the area, George was always on his own? living in his little piece of paradise, not far from the sandy beaches of Bavaro. At times I would slow down, to better understand him and why, unlike his peers in the areas beyond, he did not flock together as the others did. George obviously had found what he was looking for, an area of natural beauty with an abundance of food and protection.

It was something I looked forward to every morning to see George ?still as a statue... knee deep in the water.

The other day I noticed his absence. At first it did not seem unusual, as George, much like me, was free to wander. Perhaps he was off visiting his family, somewhere else in the Bavaro area. I did not know. After a few days it was evident that George was not coming back. It concerned me, as he was as reliable as an old Timex watch, always in the same place every morning up until last week.

I became curious to why, after months of fishing the same waters, alone in his own little world, he would fly away never to be seen again. All of a sudden it became obvious.  Mike Bryant He was no longer in a place of natural beauty and tranquility. He was no longer in an area where his harvest was bountiful and sustaining. His little piece of heaven was being filled buy the remains of construction work, garbage and chemicals.

You see, George is not a human. He is a majestic White Heron, who always held his head high, much like a king would. He was confident, cunning and always ready for a photo opportunity. The place he called home for who knows how long was a mangrove that due to the greed and short-sightedness by those who prefer concrete over natural beauty was being filled, little by little day by day. There seems to be no concern as to what was being dumped into the water old paint cans, plastic, wood, rubble and who knows what else. Eventually once nature has been replaced by another empty 12 plex condominium or parking lot, all the natural beauty of this area all the life that once survived all the benefit to drainage and water management that a mangrove provides will be lost.

It is a pity that so little concern for nature takes place in resort areas such as Bavaro. The mangroves provide a welcome diversion to the masses of empty apartments, bumpy roads and traffic chaos. They provide a home for the many birds, fish and animals that tourists love to encounter. It has often been said to me while working in the resorts, ?where are all the birds there are no birds?? One look at the open plan for development and the gross disrespect for nature makes it obvious what happened to all the wildlife.

I have often been told that I as one person cannot change the world. I feel that if everybody thought that was, change would never happen, which would in cases like this, perhaps is a good thing. But I do care for this area, as I do for areas around the world that are being used for purposes solely related to profit to those who exploit.

Mother nature has a way of balancing what is taken away from her. A mangrove is an essential part of any eco-system, providing filtration, drainage and sustenance for the communities around them. Take them away and you create problems, not only for the wildlife, but also of those who risk flooding and water contamination.

I know that George is no dumb bird. He is a survivor, who knows when he is no longer welcome. I will miss George and his defiant stance. Sorry George but some of us never even thought of you nor did they care one bit as they started filling your home.

Perhaps one day, I will post pictures of all the condos that have been built on land filled mangroves so those who are unsuspecting, will understand what the true cost.