High season is upon us here on Sanibel! Folks from the north, weary of the hard winter, have come south in droves for a bit of respite! Roads are clogged, restaurants filled beyond capacity, and many a resident's spare room is being used by friends or family from colder climes.


We've had such guests this week. An old buddy of mine who I've known since third grade and his wife are here for a few days, soaking up the sun and warmth. On Monday we all went to "Ding" Darling and took the tram tour of the wildlife refuge. We saw all manner of birds, learned about mangroves, saw some mating hermit crabs and even caught a glimpse of an alligator.


As we got underway, our very knowledgeable guide informed us that we should conduct ourselves as "intelligent, ethical ecotourists." She impressed on us the importance of respecting the refuge, taking nothing with us, and leaving nothing behind.


I've been thinking about what it means to be an intelligent, ethical ecotourist. And the thought crossed my mind that it was a phrase that could provide guidance for our everyday lives as well. What does it mean to be intelligent and ethical in our conduct as inhabitants on planet earth? A tourist comes and looks and then goes home again. My buddy and his wife will go back home later this week. But a resident lives his or her life in a particular place. I'm not going anywhere. Neither are the other 6,000 or so folks who live here year round. How much better it would be if we were constantly aware of the environment around us, if we were to live as intelligent, ethical ecoresidents?


One of the last things the guide suggested as we finished our tour was that folks visit and support the wildlife refuges in their own parts of the country. It was a good reminder that ecology isn't just for tourists--its for all of us! And ultimately, none of us are really ecotourists, rather, we must be ecoresidents. Intelligent, ethical, ecoresidents.