“When our central organizing priority becomes the well-being of all life, then what happens through us is the recovery of our world.” -Joanna Macy – Active Hope I fear for the future of my class of high school students who are finishing their final year before going to college. We adults are leaving these fine young people a real ecological mess. Many of you who are reading this essay know the grim projections of bad...

“People normally cut reality into compartments, and so are unable to see the interdependence of all phenomena.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh In my work as a conservation biologist, I often experience an arrogance by many adult humans as they refuse to embrace Nature as their home. These people seem to reject the idea that : “We humans need Nature, but Nature doesn’t need we humans” I often find myself searching for the root causes...

  “Not only is no man an island, but rather his “interbeing” is shared with the plants and animals he eats, the people who make his clothes and food, the people who populate his home, country and the very world he perceives, the insects that pollinate the trees that yield his fruit, shade him from the sun, and provide lumber or his...

  We older folks are leaving an ecological mess for our younger generations.  While thoroughly enjoying my senior years, I have experienced a profound internal struggle as I try to understand why we older folks are leaving an ecological mess for our younger generations. As a scientist and conservationist, I see this process of “Nature denial” taking place. I see the everyday activities of ordinary people impairing...

The word “consciousness” is not just a philosophical, spiritual, “hippie”, or “tree hugger” idea. Consciousness means being aware of something. “Connections”, “interconnectivity”, “interrelationships”, “links”, and interdependence are all words that describe Nature and life. The idea of everything being connected in Nature is essential because life is...

“Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children” — North American Proverb I am privileged to be mentoring an environmental education program at a local high school. As I began preparing for another school year, five of my new students approached me and asked that I focus some of my classes on issues involving climate change. I was overwhelmed with delight by this...