This week we were instructed to visit the Maymont Nature in Richmond. First I’d like to say that the area is absolutely beautiful. Its extremely green and peaceful, which seems like a rare break from what I have normally found in Richmond outside of the Pony Pasture area. I did not expect to see the amount and variety of animals they had outdoors, but I was definitely happy to see that the animals looked like they had plenty of space and were happy. We were instructed, however, to go look at the indoor exhibit regarding the river and watershed area.
If you are ever in the Richmond or Cary town area, I highly suggest you go look at the exhibit, and the Nature Center as a whole. We read an article in class this week about the people’s awareness of their impact on the watershed they lived in, how important they thought the rivers were, and if they were willing to do anything about it. It turns out that many people didn’t even know what a watershed was, where their water drained to, or simply didn’t care. This becomes even more unfortunate when you group the people who don’t care with the people who do, yet do nothing about or for the river because ultimately, these two groups add up to the majority of the population. This, therefore, only highlights the importance and significance of a place like the Maymont center. They act as an extremely interactive and interesting way to educate people about watershed area, rivers, animals, and importance of all of those combined.
What I personally really appreciated about the center was that you did not need to be a scientist or an expert to understand what the exhibit was trying to say. There were little children playing with items in the exhibit and had their faces pressed up against the aquarium glass. If even the smallest and youngest of us can get something out of it, then the older people who can actually make a difference with their knowledge have no excuse not to. The river system directly influences everyone that lives in this area, and it is easy to learn about and get involved. Raising awareness through places like Maymont would greatly help the community and only further Richmond’s reputation as the River city as it becomes a cleaner, more environmentally friendly place to live.
Here is a clear Awareness-Appraisal-Behavior argument. Very well done. Instead of referring to Forsyth’s article generically, include an explicit reference. Could even hyperlink to the article.
Try to avoid using “you” in your writing. I like how the essay started with the unexpected beauty, greenness, and peacefulness of the park. Lead with a compelling sentence like that right off the bat, rather than stating the instructions as the lead-in. Let me know if you are still having trouble posting your photo. I would love to see it.