Emerald Pool in the Dominica Republic - Nature's vs man's legacy.

Nature, when left alone, will amaze us.  Inset:  original photo.

The island of Hispaniola is the second-largest island in the Caribbean.  At just over 75,000 square km, it is about 2 ½ times larger than Vancouver Island.  The Dominican Republic has the eastern two-thirds of the Island, the western third being occupied by the nation of Haiti.

If you ever want to see a contrast in how politics and choice affect the land, you need to look no further than Hispaniola.  The western half is an impoverished nation with a fractured economy, largely run by criminal gangs, and whose ecology has been decimated by foraging for firewood.  Only 4% of Haiti's original forests remain, and none of them are protected.  The eastern half is a tropical paradise where almost 40% of the original forests remain.  The difference is because of foresight, planning, and education.

To compare the socioeconomic status of both nations, click here.  It turns out that it isn't just the land that is dying in Haiti.  Most people there live in poverty.  And the country is stuck in a vicious cycle of destruction, as there is no governance over the land, and the wild places are being raped for survival.  The Dominican Republic chose early on to embrace tourism.  The government protected the land, encouraged responsible farming and land practices, and developed an economy that benefits the population.  

Supporting nature means beauty, biodiversity, and tourism.  Man can choose to embrace it, or destroy it.  He doesn't set out to destroy, but greed, need, and lack of oversight will always result in destruction.  The legacy of man in Haiti is death.  In the Dominican Republic, it's life.

Choose life, love nature.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com