"But the natural world has another value that cannot be expressed in materialistic terms." "Unfortunately in our materialistic world, where all that counts is the bottom line, human values of love and compassion are too often suppressed." "One half a million dollars to save a bug when millions of humans are homeless and hungry. We should be ashamed!"
People are always giving the earth a value. What upsets me so much about this is that we are materialistic. It's not the money that feeds the poor. Its not money that saves the bugs. It takes human collaboration to do these things. Arguing over where our money is spent just seems ignorant in my eyes. Why aren't we coming together to feed the poor and conserve nature? Greed for money has gotten so bad that we've created a world of classes. There will always be the wealthy and the poor. I think we as a species are failing to realize and address the true causes of poverty and habitat destruction. It seems like people lost all compassion for the things that actually matter.
Page 180 of colloquium reader
"It is these experiences that fill my heart and mind with peace---being, even for a short time, part of the forest, connected once more with the mystery, feeding my soul."
The forest always brings me peace. I love to get out in the woods to escape from everything that stresses me out. I have so many day to day worries that even just a short walk in the woods can ease my mind. Walking in the woods can teach people things about life that just can't be taught any other way. Nature lets you slow down and realize what is important in life. Nature is definitely my soul food. The woods bring peace to my spirit.
These are photos from some of the hikes I've been on:
Estero Florida
Smoky Mountains
Lake Wales Florida Arbuckle Tract
Andros Island Bahamas
Page 174-175 of colloquium reader
"Yet for the most part, the work of the botanists and horticulturalists who battle to save unique plant species from extinction, and to restore habitats, goes unnoticed." "They travel to remote places, searching for rare species, collecting seeds, dangling from ropes to hand-pollinate the last individuals of an endangered plant that has taken refuge in the most inaccessible and inhospitable terrain."
It makes me sad to know that species are disappearing at such a quick rate. Things disappearing from the Earth faster than the natural extinction rate is a sad thing. I would love to be one of these biologists helping to study and conserve rare species. That would be my dream job. Knowing that I'm helping the planet to be a better place is a better reward than any paycheck. The feeling of making a difference is the best feeling in the world. Sometimes I go to the beach in my free-time to pick up the trash just so I don't feel like a complete loser. Still, I don't think this kind of thing will save the species forever. If we continue teaching our children to adapt to the modern way of life that has distanced itself from nature then we are raising a generation that has no emotional connection to the earth. There's already a lack of tree-huggers in the world and even less people that care enough to take action. We don't give these botanists enough respect. Too many people are caught up in their day-to-day lives to think about nature. The majority of the people I know barely even go outdoors.
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