MY CONCERN FOR THE NATURAL WORLD AND FUTURE LIFE ON EARTH, SEEMS TO INTENSIFY ALMOST DAILY. RECENTLY, SOME POLITICIANS HAVE DECIDED THEY ARE THE EXPERTS IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION AND NEED TO DICTATE AND CONTROL THE TYPE OF MATERIAL THAT CAN BE TAUGHT IN THE PUBLIC CLASSROOMS. PEOPLE LACKING BACKGROUNDS IN EDUCATION AND WITH EXTREME VIEWS, ARE BEING ENCOURAGED TO SEEK POSITIONS ON SCHOOL BOARDS. LIBRARIES ARE BEING FORCED TO REMOVE CERTAIN SUBJECT MATTER BOOKS AND TEACHERS ARE BEING TOLD WHAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT TEACH. IN MANY CASES, MINORITY HISTORY IS BEING SUPPRESSED IN FAVOR OF WHITE DOMINATION. THESE EFFORTS ARE ALSO SUPPRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES OF OUR VALUABLE NATURAL WORLD. I AM REMINDED OF WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, SEEING MIDDLE EASTERN CLERICS INDOCTRINATING YOUNG BOYS IN THE EVILS OF THE WORLD OUTSIDE. AN EFFORT TO CONTROL THE MINDS of THESE YOUNG MEN AS THEY GROW TO ADULTHOOD. TODAY’S WORLDWIDE TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS ARE AT LEAST PARTLY THE RESULT OF THESE EDUCATION EFFORTS. WE MUST LEAVE THE EDUCATION OF OUR YOUTH IN TH HANDS OF THE PROFESSIONALS.
RECENTLY, THE NEWS IS REPORTING THAT FINDING QUALIFIED TEACHES TO FILL VACANCIES HAS BECOME A SERIOUS ISSUE OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED COLLEGE GRADUATES WITH DEGREES AND ADVANCED DEGREES, ARE CERTAINLY, BEST PREPARED TO KNOW WHAT AND HOW TO EDUCATE OUR YOUTH FOR THEIR FUTURE RESPONSIBILITIES. THE POLITICAL CONSTRAINTS BEING PLACED ON OUR PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS ARE OBVIOUSLY, DRIVING MANY TO CONSIDER OTHER EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS. DICTATORIAL CONTROL OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM DOES NOT PROVIDE PROPER EDUCATION. PARENTS NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR CHILDS EDUCATION AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR TEACHERS TO MAINTAIN OPEN COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PARENTS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. I HAVE OBSERVED SEVERAL CASES OF HOME SCHOOLING BY WELL MEANING PARENTS. I AM SURE THESE PARENTS MEAN WELL AND SOME ARE WELL PREPARED TO EDUCATE THEIR CHILDREN, BUT THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR A CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER STUDENTS AND A PROFESSION TEACHER.
THERE IS A MAJOR ADDITION I BELIEVE MUST BE MADE IN THE EDUCATION OF OUR YOUTH. WE MUST FIND WAYS TO LIVE IN BALANCE WITH NATURE IF WE CARE ABOUT FUTURE GENERATIONS. RELATIONSHIPS ARE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF NATURE AND ALL THINGS ARE CONNECTED. AN EXTREME EXAMPLE OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS AND CONNECTIONS, IS THE FACT THAT HUMANS CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT THE BACTERIA THAT LIVE WITHIN OUR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. COMPLEX RELATIONSHIPS LIKE THIS, MUST BE UNDERSTOOD TO PROVIDE A BALANCED EXISTENCE WITH NATURE. UNFORTUNATELY, VERY LITTLE EFFORT IS BEING GIVEN TO TEACHING OUR YOUTH ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS AND CONNECTIONS. ECOLOGY IS THE STUDY OF RELATIONSHIPS AND IS NOT USUALLY TAUGHT UNTIL IN THE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. CREATION IS BUILT ON RELATIONSHIPS AND CONNECTIONS, AND IS A FORBIDDEN WORD IN THE CLASS ROOM. SOMETHING IS WRONG!
MY LONG CAREER WITH THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE, PROVIDED THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH NUMEROUS NEW RESOURCE MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES AS THEY BEGAN THEIR CAREER. DEDICATED PEOPLE WITH NATURAL RESOURCE DEGREES FROM WELL KNOWN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, BUT MOST OFTEN, LACKING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE ECOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS AND CONNECTIONS WITHIN THE FOREST ECOSYSTEMS. SINCE MY GRADUATION, MOST RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DEGREES NOW REQUIRE ONE OR TWO ECOLOGY COURSES. FAR FROM ADEQUATE! UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEX INTERACTIONS WITHIN INDIVIDUAL ECOSYSTEMS IS NOW VITAL. WITH 97% OF EARTH’S ECOSYSTEMS CONSIDERED TO BE OUT OF BALANCE AND NOT PROPERLY FUNCTIONING, RESTORATION EFFORTS ARE DEMANDED. CURRENT SCIENCE SUGGESTS UNDER IDEAL CONDITIONS WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO RESTORE 20% OF THE DAMAGE HUMANITY HAS INFLICTED ON ECOSYSTEMS WORLDWIDE. THESE EFFORTS WILL REQUIRE A UNITED COMMITMENT AND WILL IMPACT OUR LIFE STYLES. WITHOUT MAJOR CHANGES, IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED EARTH’S CARRYING-CAPACITY WILL BE SERIOUSLY STRESSED IN JUST 25 TO 30 YEARS.
TO MEET THE CHALLENGE, WE MUST BUILD STRONGER ECOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS IN OUR SCIENTISTS, EDUCATORS, CORPORATE MANAGERS AND RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS. I KNOW THERE ARE STUDENTS THAT MAJOR IN ECOLOGY, BUT THE FEW CONTACTS I HAVE HAD, LEAVE ME QUESTING THE DEPTH OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE NATURAL WORLD. I HOPE I AM WRONG, FOR WE CERTAINLY NEED THEIR HELP IN SUPPORTING THE NEED FOR STRONGER ECOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR OUR CITIZENS.
LENGTHY EXPERIENCE AND STUDY OF THE NATURAL WORLD HAS LED ME TO CONCLUDE, THAT STUDENTS MAJORING IN THE SCIENCES AND EDUCATION CURRICULUM'S NEED TO SPENT THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS BUILDING A STRONG ECOLOGICAL FOUNDATION, BEFORE SPECIALIZING. UNDERSTANDING HOW GEOLOGY, METEOROLOGY, HYDROLOGY, SOILS SCIENCE AND ASTRONOMY, DETERMINE ECOSYSTEMS IS VITAL. HOW HUMAN’S RELATE TO LIFE SYSTEMS AND THE NATURAL WORLD, MOST CERTAINLY IS REQUIRED. THIS IS THE INFORMATION REQUIRED TO BEGIN TO APPRECIATE HOW LIFE SYSTEMS FUNCTION AND SURVIVE, AND IS THE KEY TO OUR DESIRED FUTURE.
THE SCIENCE OF FOREST LAND MANAGEMENT MUST ADVANCE TO RECOGNIZE WE ARE MANAGING MUCH OF THE REMAINING NATURAL WORLD REQUIRED FOR SURVIVAL OF FUTURE GENERATIONS. OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS NOT TO MAXIMIZE PROFITS FROM FOREST RESOURCES, BUT TO MANAGE FOREST ECOSYSTEMS HEALTH AND DIVERSITY TO ASSURE A SUSTAINABLE FLOW OF LIFE SUPPORTING ELEMENTS PROVIDED ONLY BY NATURE’S REMAINING FORESTED ACREAGE. YES, MANAGEMENT IS ESSENTIAL, BUT THE GOAL OF OUR MANAGEMENT EFFORTS MUST CHANGE! WE MUST START BY INTRODUCING OUR YOUTH TO THE ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES FUNCTIONING WITHIN NATURE! TO DO LESS, WILL RESULT IN THE DESTRUCTION OF LIFE SYSTEMS ON EARTH!