ISiqithi, uLwandlekazi kunye noLawulo lweKamva

Ubumnyama obuMbala ka-Oktobha
Icandelo 3: Isiqithi, uLwandle kunye noLawulo lweKamva

nguMark J. Spalding

Njengoko ndibhale ngaphambili, ikwindla lixesha elixakekileyo leenkomfa kunye nezinye iindibano. Ngethuba lohambo lweeveki ezintandathu, ndibe nethamsanqa ngokwaneleyo lokuchitha iintsuku ezimbalwa eBlock Island, eRhode Island, ndihlola ifama yomoya eqhubekayo, ndifunda ngakumbi malunga neenzame zokukhusela iziseko ezifana neSikhululo sokuThuthukiswa kweNkunkuma, emva kweNkanyamba uSandy kunye nezinye iimvula. -kubangelwa ukhukuliseko, kwaye ukonwabela iindawo ezahlukeneyo zesiqithi ezikhuselweyo ekuphuhliseni kwaye zinike ukunyuka okumnandi. 

IBlock Island yazinziswa ngokusesikweni ngabemi baseYurophu ngowe-1661. Kwisithuba seminyaka engama-60, inkoliso yamahlathi ayo ayegawulwe ukuze kwakhiwe nokubasa. Amatye omkhenkce amaninzi angqukuva ayesetyenziselwa iindonga zamatye—ezikhuselayo namhlanje. Amathafa avulekileyo abonelela ngendawo yokuhlala evulekileyo exhasa iintlobo ezithile zezilwanyana ezinjengeelarks. Esi siqithi sasingenalo izibuko lendalo lokukhusela izikhephe ezikhulu, kodwa sasinokuloba iicod elunxwemeni kunye noonokrwece abaninzi. Ukulandela ulwakhiwo lwezibuko eliqhekezayo lamanzi (iZibuko eliDala) ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane ye-19, iSiqithi iBlock sadubula njengendawo yokusingwa yasehlotyeni, siqhayisa ngeehotele ezinkulu zakudala zasemanzini. Esi siqithi siseyindawo ethandwa kakhulu ehlotyeni, kwaye sinikezela iindwendwe zokuhamba, ukuloba, ukusefa, ukukhwela ibhayisekile, kunye nokukama elunxwemeni, phakathi kwezinye izinto ezinomtsalane. Amashumi amane ekhulwini esi siqithi akhuselwe ekuphuhlisweni, yaye imimandla emininzi yendalo ivulelekile ukuba ingabonwa ngabantu. Abemi bonyaka wonke ngoku bamalunga nama-950 abantu.

Enkosi kubamkeli bethu, Ocean View Foundation's UKim Gaffett kunye no Rhode Island Natural History Survey's Kira Stillwell, ndiye ndakwazi ukufunda ngakumbi malunga nezixhobo ezizodwa zesiqithi. Namhlanje amasimi abonakala ekhuhla unxweme neendawo zokuhlala ezixineneyo, nto leyo etshintsha umxube weentaka ezihlala kuzo nezifudukayo. Amaqunube amaninzi kwesi siqithi avelisa abantu bomthonyama abanje ngewinterberry, pokeberry, kunye newax myrtle, acelwa umngeni yiJapan knotweed, Black Swallow-wort, kunye nemidiliya eyimayile ngomzuzu (esuka eMpuma Asia).

Ekwindla, inyambalala yeentaka ezifudukayo zimisa kwiSiqithi iBlock ukuze ziphumle kwaye zifake amafutha phambi kokuba ziqhubeke nohambo lwazo olusingise kwiindawo ezikude ezisemazantsi. Amaxesha amaninzi, iindawo abasinge kuzo zingamawaka eekhilomitha ukusuka kuMbindi nakuMzantsi Merika. Kule minyaka ingamashumi amahlanu idlulileyo, olunye usapho luye lwabamba isikhululo sebhendi kufutshane nesiphelo esisemantla seBlock Island, kude kufuphi neClayhead Bluffs esenzela indawo ephawulekayo kuhambo lwesikhitshane ukusuka ePoint Judith. Apha, iintaka ezifudukayo zibanjiswa kwiminatha yenkungu, zisuswe ngobunono ngaphantsi kweyure kamva, zilinganiswe, zilinganiswe, zibotshwe, ziphinde zikhululwe. Umthonyama weBlock Island kunye nengcali yokudibanisa iintaka, uKim Gaffett uchithe amashumi eminyaka esitishini entwasahlobo nasekwindla. Ntaka nganye ifumana ibhanti eyenzelwe ubungakanani nobunzima bayo, kumiselwa isini sayo, kujongwe ukutyeba kwayo, ubude bephiko layo bulinganiswe “kwingqiniba,” kwaza kwalinganiswa ubunzima. UKim ukwajonga ukudityaniswa kokakayi ukubona iminyaka yentaka. Umncedisi wakhe olivolontiya uMaggie uqaphela ngononophelo idatha kwintaka nganye. Iintaka eziphathwa kakuhle ziyakhululwa.  

Khange ndiyibone indlela endinokuba luncedo ngayo ibhendi, okanye ukulinganisa, okanye ukukala. Ngokuqinisekileyo ndandingenawo amava kaKim ekumiseleni inqanaba lokutyeba, umzekelo. Kodwa kwathi kanti, ndavuya kakhulu kuba ndibe yindoda encede iintaka ezincinci zibuyela endleleni yazo. Ngalo lonke ixesha, njengakwimeko yevireo enye, intaka yayidla ngokuzola okomzuzwana emnweni wam, ijonge macala onke, kwaye mhlawumbi igwebe isantya somoya, ngaphambi kokuba ibhabhe—ihlale nzulu ekukhuhleni phantse ikhawuleze kakhulu kuthi. amehlo ukulandela.  

Njengoluntu oluninzi oluselunxwemeni, isiseko seBlock Island sisemngciphekweni wokunyuka kolwandle kunye nokukhukuliseka kwendalo. Njengesiqithi, ukuhlehla akusiyo inketho, kwaye ezinye iindlela kufuneka zifunyanwe kuyo yonke into ukusuka kulawulo lwenkunkuma, ukuyila kwendlela, ukuya kumandla. UKim kunye namanye amalungu oluntu baye bancedisa ukukhokela iphulo lokukhulisa amandla esiqithi ukuzimela-ngefama yokuqala yase-US yomoya engaselunxwemeni ngoku eyakhiwayo kwicala elingasempuma lesiqithi.  

Umsebenzi uKim kunye neqela lakhe lamavolontiya awenzayo ukubala iintaka ezifudukayo, kanye njengomsebenzi we Iziko loPhando lweBiodiversity Iqela le-raptor liya kusinceda siqonde ngakumbi malunga nobudlelwane phakathi kwezo turbines kunye nokufuduka kweentaka. Uluntu oluninzi luya kuxhamla kwizifundo ezifunyenwe kwinkqubo ephuhliswa luluntu lwaseBlock Island njengoko luqhuba yonke into ukusuka apho amandla avela elunxwemeni, ukuya apho izikhephe zokusebenzela zefama yomoya, ukuya apho isikhululo sokuvelisa umbane siza kwakhiwa khona. Oogxa bethu kwi-Island Institute eMaine baphakathi kwabo baye babelana, kwaye bancedisa ukwazisa, inkqubo.

I-Ocean Foundation yasekwa, ngokuyinxenye, ukunceda ibhulorho yemithombo yolwazi ekulondolozweni kolwandle-ukusuka kulwazi ukuya kwimali ukuya kumandla omntu-kwaye ixesha eBlock Island lisikhumbuza ukuba ubudlelwane bethu nolwandle buqala kwinqanaba eliphezulu lendawo. Ukuma kwaye ujonge eAtlantiki, okanye emazantsi ukuya eMontauk, okanye ubuyele ngaphesheya kunxweme lwaseRhode Island kukwazi ukuba ukwindawo ekhethekileyo kakhulu. Kwelam icala, ndiyazi ukuba ndinethamsanqa elimangalisayo kwaye ndinombulelo ongazenzisiyo ngokufunda okuninzi ngexesha elifutshane kwisiqithi esihle ngolu hlobo. 

Ifoto 1: Block Island, Photo 2: Mark J. Spalding encedisa ekukhululweni kweentaka zendawo