I went to the Paynes Prairie lookout off of 441 on Saturday to show my aunt, who is visiting from Vermont, the beautiful wildlife of Florida. We got to encounter a 6-foot alligator sunning itself right by the dock. Unfortunately, the awe was cut short upon seeing a ton of empty bottles floating beside the alligator.
I never really thought much about how littering really affected us until now. I was always told not to litter because it’s bad for the environment. It really seemed to hit home for me yesterday though. Paynes Prairie is a gorgeous part of Alachua County that is free to the public to come out and enjoy. It really bothered me to see this beautiful alligator — the mascot of our school — wade among the filth of people’s trash. I think actually seeing it in person solidified the horror of littering in a way I would have never imagined.
Maria Hyde
UF political science freshman
Empty bottles and other miscellaneous particles of garbage surround a six-foot Florida alligator as it suns itself besides the look out dock off of 441 on the Payne's Prairie Preserve State Park, Saturday April 18, 2015.
