The significance of preserving areas such as parks and other natural and wildlife areas is do exactly that, preserve nature. It has been shown time and time again that if nothing is done to protect what is already there; it will eventually be developed into something non-natural. This can be seen by lake front drive, which was created after the Lake Park was established. People wanted some means of transport right were the Lark Park was, and since they couldn’t go through the park they built around it, destroying the natural bluffs and lake front of Milwaukee in order to build a road that went around and avoided nature. Another piece of evidence that shows how mankind can destroy something natural is what had happened to the Indian Mounds that used to be scattered around Lake Park’s property. Originally leveled to be sold off as land to people settling in the Milwaukee area, several Indian mounds which used natureto mark and display a burial site were destroyed and eradicated to make way for new settlers. Now the only one left standing in Milwaukee is part of left field with a marker set at the top of it to inform people of what it is. Stories have been told of bad luck befalling those who stand on or destroy Indian Mounds, whether they hold some truth or not it is very alarming that little has been done to inform people of what an Indian Mound is and the sacred qualities it held to the people who built them.
Even with the park being preserved mankind has done quite a number to the park in order to make it a place for people to enjoy and walk through, shown by the several bridges that has been erected to allow transport over ravines throughout the park, and by several installed features such as waterfalls and golf courses that have been put in place. It shows that even though man makes an effort to preserve something natural we still feel the need to make it our own in some way. Shown by the waterfall that was installed and recently restored, though it looks beautiful and adds a wonderful feature to the park it is also something that had not been there naturally and was added to make nature more “appeasing” and beautiful for the people enjoying the park.
Another great feature and good reason for preserving the park is that it houses the North Point Lighthouse. Instead of avoiding the lighthouse or working around it, Lake Park does a beautiful job of working with the lighthouse and incorporating it into the overall aesthetic of the Lake Park. The lighthouse has been well maintained in outside appearance and the light tower itself still maintains its interior integrity even with some of its lower spaces being used as storage for the rest of the light house. The quarters, or living space for the light keeper has been remodeled into more of a museum space, with interior walls being removed to allow a more spacious area used for displaying artifacts and museum pieces.
There were several things I strongly agreed with that you wrote about. First is the human need to change things. I wonder how much different Milwaukee and Lake Park would look today had people not put a road between the park and Lake Michigan. There is a need for us to fix things, such as a natural landscape, but why fix it if there is nothing wrong with it? This can be answered with your point of making things more accessible for people. This is a difficult concept to grasp because while we are trying to protect nature, we are still finding ways to change it. Do you feel that the manmade additions to the park have been a benefit to the overall experience of the park?
ReplyDeleteRyan I really have to agree with you on the way you describe preserving nature. Everything around the park has been developed, whether it be into houses, lake park drive or beaches. People can never be close enough to the lake and will adapt to have ease and comfort. The only thing about the Indian Burial mounds is that I wish they knew or had evidence to say that was a burial mound, but I understand that the discovery world radar didn’t go that deep.
ReplyDeleteThe waterfall was a nice sight to the eyes, and it was restored, but we would never have a waterfall in the Midwest! People like to have beautiful things and some things aren’t that great by themselves. I did find the golf course a little distracting but all and all I think the park is getting better at making a more natural and authentic landscape.
There should be something said about the willingness to build around the park. You are right that the park does preserve nature, and that if the land wasn't being used it would be turned into a subdivision or a road, or even a neighborhood. We have to recognize the actual pre-planned out act of building around the park, a place that has been apart of Milwaukee's community for decades.
ReplyDeleteCreating a Lake Front Drive out of the lake I feel was a great decision. The lake is a huge piece of land that is never thought to be used only because of the difficulty to build on water. And though you said natural bluffs were damaged, we now have a successful resource to travel in that are, which was not present before. Traffic stays away from family neighborhoods and even the park, which I would see as a hazard to public.