Everything revolves around the circle of life. Life can only be formed when the balance. Steel Lake Park is a phenomenal example as the balance provides an atmosphere for all living creatures. This discourse community has one common idea in mind, create where people and animals can both enjoy the presents that nature offers. People continuously plod away in order to keep this park preserved to nature as well as making a place where people can simply enjoy being out. The variety of birds flies through the air with small creatures underwater that is visible from the shore; families out to enjoy a cool summer breeze while the little ones frolic with joy. That is the magic Steel Lake Park provides. Steel Lake Park is located in Federal Way, as a staple for picnicking and having a family outing with something to do for everyone. People can go for a swim while others can fish; take the dog out for a walk or letting the goose chase a toddler. Regardlessly, people will be driving to maintain the balance as they keep repopulating fish in the lake and making sure there are no one superpower. The animals are given a sanctuary where food and safety is guaranteed. This specificated discourse community deserves recognition by the United States Geological Survey, as it provides involvement of numerous amount of individual species.
The desired goal is to create a coexisting world between people and animals. At Steel Lake Park, animals and people are able to live and function in the circle of life. The biological purpose of any living organism is to reproduce. For the animals to achieve their purpose, they look for a suitable area where their species are able to reproduce and have access to food. As water is a natural resource that is needed for all life, the lake provides life to many living organelles. Including people, the lake provides jobs and most importantly leisurely joy. For instance, kids can be excited to be barefoot in the water looking at such marine life, while parents can finally take a moment to relax. All of which is possible because people maintain a standard of the lake and park’s condition where animals are able to make it their suitable home.
It is not only the animals benefiting from this discourse community; people benefits more than imaginable. Although it is not verbal, the intercommunicative mechanism results in the success of the desired goals between animals and people when there is a peaceful coexistence. In order for feedback to provide any viable information, the physical mechanisms of communication is detrimental. Fisherman are only allowed to fish at designated seasons in order to keep the trout population under control. Also, there is an annual fish repopulation in efforts to maintain life at the lake. Due to this effect, fish in the lake are not becoming true breeders and it diversifies the fish population in the lake. With multiple species of fish in the lake, it attracts more wildlife and people to one location. Simply be maintaining marine life, people are able to swim in clean water, enjoy fishing, and see the wildlife that are attracted to the fish and clean water like ducks, otters, and beavers. The animals provide a visual healing experience as they coexist with people. With the park in such wonderful conditions, it attracts rare wildlife. Otters and beavers can be seen swimming in the lake eating the fish that floods the lake. Also, with the park being so clean and wildlife there not being bothered, deer take strolls eating wild berries that are there. After sunset, raccoons with their youngs comes out to scavenge what was left over from the picnics. The animals that inhabits the park nonverbally communicates with people of how appreciative the efforts to keep the lake and park clean is. In return, the animals in the park are not as cautious with people communicating their trust towards the humans. Although there are no current methods to communicate with animals, the only clear indication for humans are that the wildlife continues to make Steel Lake Park their home even with the presence of people there. People will always know where to go to enjoy wildlife and nature throughout the day whether it rains or in the comfort of their cars. Even though animals and humans are unable to communicate verbally, people are able to understand what efforts are exercised is working; because, animals are slowly adapting to people being present more wildlife are attracted to the park as well as people.
Throughout the seasons, people come to the park to enjoy in genres of fishing, swimming, and other various recreational fun. The discourse community revolved around Steel Lake maintains a standard of cleanliness. Regardless of which activity or reasons someone comes to the park, it is a common lexis as to clean after themselves and pick up trash if nearby. Fishermen do not clean their fish at the lake because there are no facilities to do so. Also, doing it will create a mess of the lake. Boaters whom are rowing or using engines do not clean their vessels near the lake. The wax or cleaning supplies will ultimately pollute the water which is wanted to be avoided. Swimmer in the lake understand there is a limit to where they are allowed to swim and before going into the lake they all take a quick shower by the restrooms. People take simple water only showers to minimize the level of pollution in the lake. As the lake is part of a vast park, picnickers are always in the equation. Picnickers make sure to clean up after themselves so wild animals are not attracted to the leftover food and trash cans. It is to avoid the wildlife to develop a dependency on peoples’ trash in order to feed. Another example for the same purpose is people are not allowed to feed the ducks. Everyone at the lake are all responsible for their actions and if someone were to forget or do not know the unwritten rules, others would make sure to notify them.
People are able to explore more genres out of their original thresholds to enjoy more recreational activities at the park. Observing wildlife, boating, fishing, swimming, or simply going on a stroll at the park are luxuries people can enjoy while creating a habitat for wildlife. Steel Lake Park is a phenomenal world where people and animals are able to coexist. As more and more people begin to enjoy fishing, the lake must be repopulated with more fish resulting in a diversified menu option for the wildlife at the park. Along with the swimming and boating, the lake must be kept clean from pollution. The marine life benefits from the lake becoming inhabitable. As people rotate in and out of the park, the standard of the park enhances which enhances the natural habitat for the animals.
The map above illustrates the coexistence of life at Steel Lake Park and people. Steel Lake Park is located in Federal Way, Washington. The main focus of the image is the lake itself (Outlined in blue); as it is portrayed as the center of life. The lake is a multipurpose tool for the success of human and wildlife interactions. Annually, fish are repopulated into the lake which provides nutrients to the wildlife there and entertainment for people. Also, the lake is suitable for swimming and boating. The wildlife understands how people maintain a level of cleanliness of the lake and do not disturb the habitat resulting in Steel Lake Park becoming homes for various animals.
The animals that inhabits Steel Lake Park lives within a perceptual world as well as the environment is created and kept by the visions of people that desire a natural scenery. Jakob von Uexküll defines “perceptual world”as how each and every organism processes information through their sensory creating a different reality or habitat. It is difficult to understand and comprehend how other organisms perceive their environment as each organism processes information differently. According to Uexküll, “environment” is the biological foundation that studies both communication and the representation in the human and animal coexistence. As all organisms perceive and react to their sensory, people are attracted to the family friendly open area whereas animals are attracted to the safe and clean habitat. In the morning at Steel Lake Park, it is possible to see rabbits running freely along with ducks swimming in a swarm. The algae in the water can only be formed in clean and healthy life is present. The algae provides food and nutrients to the smaller fish which lives in the lake. The smaller fish then becomes food for the bigger fish and ducks. Fish being one of the greatest players in the circle of life at the park, it not only exists as food for other life; but also entertainment for people. Therefore, fish are annually repopulated into the lake to maintain the balance. In this environment between people and animals, the language between the two are not spoken but built on trust. Ducks knows that are safe and people understand to protect the wildlife. Which in all, become a beauty of nature for people. At the sandy shores, toddlers either chase or be chased by the ducks and young couples walk the dock to see the fisherman's haul. With the abundance of wildlife and clean waters allows people to explore new thresholds. There are shallow waters where people may go swimming and the lake water makes it very suitable for boaters to enjoy staying afloat with no cautions. With no waves and people all around, if there were to be any danger, it can be quickly be dealt with. Steel Lake Park at Federal Way, is home to multispecies in their unique discourse community. People are able to coexist with the wildlife at the park.
Naturally, people want to preserve nature and enjoy the gifts nature provides. By meeting the expectations and wants of people, the natural animals also benefits. The clean water enables marine plant life to grow which becomes the start of all life in the park. As parents need a place
to take their children that is safe and able to enjoy the outside, the grass is always neatly kept and the water clean. All in which attracts animals. The park without human interaction could be beautiful in the sense of pure nature; however, with human interactions, this discourse
community becomes a standard for coexistence between animals and humans. As the mission of the United States Geological Survey is to create a better world through science, they could use Steel Lake Park as a stepping stone to create a new world where animals and humans may enjoy nature together. For now, in order to keep a balance and maintain the life that inhabits Steel Lake Park, people need to create a world for the animals and animals must create the visual world people imagine.