We are getting ready to take a trip to the north woods in Canada for a fly-in fishing expedition. We'll spend a week relaxing and dialog with the lodge owners that live all summer very close to nature. John grew up with a deep appreciation for the complexity of our remaining forested lands and I am sure feels very comfortable in this environment. There is simply no better way to understand and appreciate the complexity of our back-country environment than through personal, empirical observation. This is the wisdom referred to in the Seventh Fire Prophecy of the Anishinaabe people when they talk about the treasures left along the trail by their ancestors. I am convinced this wisdom, "ability to read the land", is the missing link in the science of forest land management. My concern is that this wisdom is being pushed aside and lost as we become a more urbanized society and our quest for wealth and affluence drives our decision making. Somehow, we must slow down and re-think the demands we are placing on our remaining natural resources and the sustainability of human life on this planet.
Today, we are told the top environmental issue we face is population expansion, and the third issue is deforestation. We have destroyed slightly more than half of the forest cover that once covered this planet's land base. It is time we start the process of bringing our life style in balance with nature. Iris and I have been discussing opportunities to make a difference and believe we need to start with the environmental education programs at the elementary and intermediate school level. Our hope is to find interest at a college or university to undertake a project to develop a series of videos designed to help young people appreciate the need to be able to observe and understand the complexity of our natural surroundings. It is important that we record the traditional knowledge of our elders while we still can. It would be interesting to hear things you are doing or ideas you have, that might further efforts to re-kindle our appreciation for the complex relationships that exist within our natural environment. Please use the contact information on this website to let us hear your thoughts.
Today, we are told the top environmental issue we face is population expansion, and the third issue is deforestation. We have destroyed slightly more than half of the forest cover that once covered this planet's land base. It is time we start the process of bringing our life style in balance with nature. Iris and I have been discussing opportunities to make a difference and believe we need to start with the environmental education programs at the elementary and intermediate school level. Our hope is to find interest at a college or university to undertake a project to develop a series of videos designed to help young people appreciate the need to be able to observe and understand the complexity of our natural surroundings. It is important that we record the traditional knowledge of our elders while we still can. It would be interesting to hear things you are doing or ideas you have, that might further efforts to re-kindle our appreciation for the complex relationships that exist within our natural environment. Please use the contact information on this website to let us hear your thoughts.
