The Kaway Swamp in the Cockscomb Basin
A boiling pot of life, death and renewal. Epiphytes-orchids, bromeliads and vines-that creep up the massive trunks and crenulated bark of the kaway trees, are home to countless creatures - frogs, snakes, lizards and more - like tenants in high rise apartments. The kaway leaves sprouting from branches high above - home to birds, monkeys and wildcats - transform sunlight into sugars, then wilt and fall into the stagnant rain water below. Tapir, warrie and deer browse through this soup, ever watchful for the greatest of our predators, the jaguar.
Insects, bacteria and microbes feast on the dead leaves and animal remains in the morass, excreting nutrients which the kaway trees absorb through a network of roots and slurp up through microscopic straws in their trunks to nourish the leaves and branches high above. A beautiful, efficient, self sustaining system - life bubbling and thriving with little waste and only sun for input.
Yes, a simple description of highly complex systems, but in the end, we are part of this natural system we are foul and destroy in our quest for more and more trinkets and bling and things. We are like the leaves that live, do our thing, then die and re-enter the pot, except we leave behind worthless trinkets and bling and things accumulating without contributing to the renewal.
Soon, our pot will be full of things with no room for life. For such “intelligent” creatures we have so much to learn to survive.
This area is accessible via Warrie Loop trail. Wear mosquito repellent!
Photograph by Tony Rath
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