A few days ago, my One Bermuda Alliance colleague Senator Mike Fahy expressed reservations about the solar array that has been proposed for that little area of land at the LF Wade International Airport that juts out into Castle Harbour, called The Finger.He said he hoped the Government would make sure there was no other better purpose to which the land could be put before they gave permission to use it that way.But anyone who knows The Finger knows it is just a barren little bit of disused runway. Come on, I can hear people say, what better purpose could there possibly be for a piece of land like that?The reason he was taking such care, and the reason that many other people in Bermuda might have the same reaction, is that it’s 56 acres of land, and a chunk that big is like gold dust in this little island.Bermuda is only 13,440 acres from Dockyard to Town Cut a ranch that size would be peanuts in Texas!I’m with Make Fahy. We must protect the open spaces that remain and insist that developers develop and build on brownfield areas that is, areas that have already been developed. This is why I took a stand in 2007 and encouraged the residents of Warwick to say no to the development of Southlands.Warwick is the second most densely populated parish in Bermuda, second only to Pembroke. I can see, from my home at the top of Burnt House Hill in Warwick, a large tract of land that is zoned Woodland Reserve and Arable Land. I’m one of the lucky ones. Not many people have that kind of inland view any more. Most people are looking at walls.At the very young age of 16, I was blessed to be able to go on an Audubon Natural History course held at Nonsuch Island where we camped and listened to talks given by leaders in this field such as David Wingate, David Lonsdale and Richard Winchell. That course opened my eyes to the many wonders that surround us on this little island in the middle of the Atlantic. I was able to see first-hand, for example, those awesome coral reefs out at North Rock. I learned that there were seventeen endemic species in Bermuda of plant in Bermuda, not just the cedar, palmetto and olivewood that everyone talks about.It helped make me an environmentalist. I think anybody who understands the fragility of the beauty of Bermuda must also be an environmentalist.Going forward, it is critical that we as a people think really thoroughly about everything we do with each acre on this island. Our Planning Department requires the full support of the government of the day. We have to stop handing out Special Development Orders like they are Christmas presents.For each generation going forward, striking a balance between the need for development and the protection of our undeveloped space will become increasingly more difficult. Pressure has already begun to build up to develop areas of our South Shore parklands and beaches. I think it is vital that these areas stay untouched. To help new generations cope with the hard decisions, I think they should all take the kind of natural history course I was exposed to.Bermuda is a beautiful place. Every day, we enjoy vistas that very few people in the world are able to see even once. Those views aren’t just easy on the eyes. They have everything to do with the character of Bermudians. Studies from around the world long ago established that people who are able to access views of the sea and blue skies, and who are able to surround themselves with vegetation, live happier lives than people who don’t have those things. They have lower blood pressure, lower stress levels and less anger. Hospital surgical patients who have pleasant window views heal faster, develop less infection and need less analgesic to cope with pain than patients whose view is next door’s wall.I encourage you to get to know more about our flora and fauna. Since its inception in 1926, The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo continues to inspire appreciation and care for the Island’s environment by showcasing the magnificent exhibits which have been constructed inside its facility and to provide leadership and education. Organisations such as The Bermuda National Trust, the Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce, the Bermuda Audubon Society, the Bermuda Zoological Society, Greenrock and the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences also do an outstanding job in educating our people on the value of open spaces and our environment.Life is fast for all of us nowadays, particularly with technology advancing at the rate that it does. Now that it’s getting a little cooler, pack a lunch and head out with your family and enjoy one of Bermuda’s Nature Reserves or parks. I guarantee you will enjoy it. You will be refreshed and recharged and if you look around, you will gain a greater appreciation of the wonderful island that we are fortunate enough to live in, and of the need to make sure it is preserved.Jeff Sousa is the One Bermuda Alliance candidate for Warwick West.