Dawson O’Brien

Prof. Saunders & Welch

ENVT 200

17 February, 2019

Co-Exist

This past Friday, February 15^th, 2019, I was lucky enough to attend the Southeastern Wildlife Expo, if only for a short while. The SEWE has been held for the past 36 years, this year being the 37^th, and has been carrying on the tradition of celebrating the things that are enjoyable about nature, but often forgotten about. Nature contains so many wonderful components, all of which are gorgeous, and so there must be time to revel in that fact. The SEWE has events for connoisseurs, or even children. For the younger-crowds there are demonstrations of live birds, live ocean/zoo animals, and even wildlife sanctuary shows. For those not looking for trying experiences, there are auctions, food cooking events, and art viewings! And for those who want an immersive experience without being too immature, there are events like the one I attended: dog demonstrations!

Because of time restraints and class, I was not able to experience as much of the SEWE as I had wanted, but I was able to get out there for their series of dog demonstrations. Essentially, because of the high popularity of hunting in the state of South Carolina, the SEWE gives owners the chance to show just how able their pets truly are! I witnessed solely the search and rescue dog demos that were later in the afternoon. However, if I had been able to come earlier, I would have been able to see sheep and herding demos, and if I stayed later there would have been a retrieving show! Overall, the experience was incredible. For the average individual, it is difficult to grasp just how well-trained service dogs really are. The dogs are professionals at what they do and it shows when they are performing their individual tasks.

What was so brilliant about the performances of the dogs was that when the dog was displaying its training it was so receptive to the trainers, and when the dog was not in training it was so loveable and friendly. I found it fascinating that the four-legged animals could separate their training from their enjoyment time. Upon seeing this same interactions, I had a thought that related the event back to being sustainable; humans need to co-exist with nature. Although dogs are domesticated, they have natural instincts and tendencies that remain, causing them to appear to symbolize nature to me. The cohesiveness seen with dogs and people reminded me that nature and humans are one in the same, and in order for a more sustainable future, humans must co-exist. From goat-herding to live camels, the SEWE was a brilliant experience that causes people to take a moment out of their day to remember how grateful people should be for the world around them.