Mangroves

Although I haven't left yet on my journey (only 4 more days!) and the mangrove forests will probably be the very last bit I write about during my last week in Bangladesh, my first post must certainly be an excerpt from my proposal to explain or at least hint at my desires...
I find inspiration in natural assemblages- the structures of crystal, a geode, a spider’s web, ice formations, an armadillo’s shell, or the layers of skin, pith and flesh of citrus fruits. We can take cues from ecosystems and how they function. For instance, the Sundarbans, off the coast of Bangladesh, an ecological phenomenon that is a mangrove forest, support some of the most biologically diverse life on the planet. These trees drop their roots in the saltiest waters and become home to birds nesting in their canopies, shellfish that attach themselves to roots, lurking sharks, tigers, monkeys, bats, bees. This forest protects the fragile Bengal coast from erosion and provides sources of nourishment and natural resources to Bengalis. Mangroves illustrate how reliant living things are on each other.