The Pond by Craig Zimmerman

When I was a boy, the pond was a peaceful oasis where I could dream and marvel at the many creatures that lived in and around the wetland.

The pond was located in the remains of a forest not far from the city of Tacoma, Washington. A thick layer of Douglas Fir, Cedar, and Madrone Trees concealed the pond from the outside world. A narrow trail led through the trees to the shore.

The main body of the pond was roughly oval and covered about half an acre. At the north end of the pond a tiny "island" stood a few feet from the shore. Not far from the island, a shallow channel led to a smaller section of the pond that was about a third the size of the larger section.

On warm days, Bullfrogs would sun themselves on the shore. At the first hint of danger, the whole group would leap into the water. The natural camouflage of the Leopard Frog blended perfectly with the plants that grew in the shallow waters of the pond. Green Tree Frogs used the suction pads on their feet to cling to the branches of Alder Trees that lined the shore. The Western Newt was the only Salamander species that lived in the pond. 

The salamanders were one of my favorite creatures of the pond. There were the remnants of prehistoric epochs in the supple way they moved through the water.

A cluster of large rocks near the island was the favorite meeting place for a group of Catfish. A few Trout also shared the pond.

A variety of unusual insects inhabited the pond. The larva of the Caddis Fly dotted the surface of the pond in their floating homes made of bits of wood and grass. The Water Boatman used its' oar-shaped limbs to "row" itself across the water. Diving beetles carried a bubble of air in order to descend to the depths of the pond. Above the water, colorful Dragonflies darted back and forth hunting Mosquitoes and other pests.

The pond was also home to several bird species including Robins, Blue Jays, Gold Finches, and occasionally a few ducks. 


In 1977, the pond was drained and covered with dirt. The forest around the pond was leveled. Eventually, several houses were constructed at the site.



   The single Madrone Tree in the photo below is about the only remaining trace of the pond.

Ocean Litter

The following article appeared in the March 11, 2009 edition of The Tacoma News Tribune. The author is Brian Skoloff of The Associated Press. "West Palm Beach, Fla.- Nearly 7 million pounds of debris were collected from waterways and shorelines around the world on a single day last year, illustrating that careless people are discarding trash just about everywhere, with much of it eventually finding an aquatic home, according to a report released Tuesday.

Nearly 400, 000 volunteers scoured about 17,000 miles of coastline, river bottoms and ocean floors during the Ocean Conservancy's 23rd International Coastal Cleanup in September.

The group's report said more than 3.2 milion cigarette butts were picked up, the item most commonly found. The butts were followed by about 1.4 million plast bags, 942, 000 food wrappers and containers, and 937,000 caps and lids. Volunteers also collected 26,585 tires, enough for 6,646 cars-and a spare.


Volunteers collected about 11.4 million items overall, which weighed a total of 6.8 million pounds. They snagged more than 1.3 milion cigarette butts in the U.S. alone, about 19,500 fishing nets in the United Kingdom and more than 11,000 diapers in the Philippines


"Our ocean is sick, and our actions have made it so," said Vicki Spruill, the Ocean Conservancy's president and CEO.


During the event, participants found 268 marine animals that survived being entangled in debris. But 175 weren't so lucky and died."




About a week ago, I cleaned up a local beach on the Puget Sound. I found several plastic bottles, styrofoam and a number of small pieces of plastic. Plastic does not dissolve, it just breaks into smaller pieces. Sometimes marine animals injest the plastic pieces mistaking them for food. The plastic eventually clogs the digestive system, causing the animal to starve.

There is no excuse for discarding trash in the water or on land.