Ben and Tammy chuckled and reminisced over a cup of coffee at Barnes and Noble one Friday afternoon.  It had been a few years since they had seen each other.  Ben was studying to be an architect at the U of Minnesota, and Tammy was just starting graduate school in Botany at Colorado State.  Now, they were both back home for a week before their summer jobs began elsewhere. 

"Hey, I've got a great idea!" exclaimed Ben, "Let's go find that spot where we used to camp for weeks down by the Missouri!

"Yeah," agreed Tammy, "That place was the best!  Great fishing, too.  And now with my all-knowledgeable degree in Botany, I'll be sure to not get caught up in the poison ivy."

The two chums drove to the park's edge in which they used to spend hours exploring, and found the faint trail that led to their recreational haven.  However, much to their surprise, when they pushed their way through the underbrush of the cottonwoods, they were faced with a 2-story home that covered at least 3500 ft², complete with columns around the front door and landscaping right up to the river's edge.

"Gee, Tam, this isn't quite how I remembered it," Ben sighed.  "I guess they decided to upscale the camping facilities around here."

"You're so clever Ben," Tammy said sarcastically.  "So much for your great idea.  You know, isn't this supposed to be a publicly accessible park, and a conserved one at that?  Look at the lots cleared for even more homes.  Don't people realize that their manicured lawns and ornamental plants can affect the native plant species habitats?"  

"It is disappointing, but look on the bright side, Tam, at least they used a simple cottage design for their dream home.  Though the columns are tacky, I must admit.  Hey, they kept a cottonwood in their backyard," Ben offered.

"Seriously, Ben," Tammy retorted. "Development can have many effects on biodiversity and the quality of the natural environment."

"True, but you have to consider other perspectives," replied Ben.  "This scenery and the view are important in architectural design.  I'm not so sure about the building codes so close to the water's edge, but I doubt they're doing that much damage.  This area is important to a lot of people in our area.  Not everyone's a biologist."