If Earth had eyes, she would see humanity as a form of pollution. A pollutant that spreads quickly, taking over each parcel of land, each forest, each river. A curse brought by one species that betrayed 10 million others.
Just look at what we have done to our own town. (I say “we” loosely. I had no part in smothering Plymouth with asphalt and concrete, and I am sure you did not, either.) Every time I visit Shallow Pond Estates there is another development popping up, slowly taking over the woods like an uncontrolled virus. Have you seen the new Bartlett Pond Estates? In order to stuff another 20 homes into an already cramped space, trees were cleared and trucks flooded the area with traffic and noise. The Pinehills is continuously expanding, like an invasive species that just keeps blooming. 3,200 acres of forested hills converted to buildings and roadways.
I remember the first time I visited Tidmarsh [Wildlife Sanctuary]. Stunned, I could not believe such a beautiful, fully wild wonderland could exist in Plymouth. I fell in love with the place, the trees that went on seemingly forever, the waterways that meandered through the lush meadow, and how there was no sign of humans beyond the parking lot. Now I feel the magic of Tidmarsh has been dampened because houses have popped up on a hill overlooking the conservation area. Houses built by the Pinehills.
When will the town care more for the residents than it does developers? I am not trying to put down those who live in these developments, rather the companies behind them and the town that allows them. More houses equate to more water and energy usage, and more natural land being plowed down. More wildlife will be evicted from their habitat and pushed to the streets, increasing the risk of danger for themselves and the public. More strain will be put onto our aquifer.
Plymouth has been my home my whole life and I have never seen it so crowded. One of my favorite things about this town is how prevalent natural areas are. I live in a neighborhood that is abutted by a forest and has decent tree coverage throughout the streets. You are treated with views of the ocean, marshes, and forests when driving down State Road. Now you run the risk of spotting any of the giant, gaping pits left behind by the sand mining companies. Of course, the old exits five, six, and seven are heavily built up with industrial parks, shopping centers, and apartment buildings. Is that what the town wants each exit to look like? A capitalistic wasteland with nothing to do except make purchases and emit pollution into our choking atmosphere?
– Kayla Glynn
Editor’s note: The acreage figure the author quotes for the Pinehills development includes land that has not been deforested.