FOREST ECOSYSTEMS AND HUMAN COMMUNITIES
MY INTEREST IN THE NEED TO RECOGNIZE FOREST COMMUNITIES (ECOSYSTEMS), STARTED IN 1963, WHEN I WAS ASSIGNED TO AN ASSISTANT DISTRICT RANGER POSITION ON THE MARK TWAIN NATIONAL FOREST IN SOUTHERN MISSOURI. IT WAS CLEAR THAT MY MAJOR CHALLENGE WAS TO ASSURE THE DISTRICT MET ASSIGNED ANNUAL TIMBER SALE TARGETS. THE PREVIOUS PERSON ASSIGNED TO THE POSITION, HAD BEEN UNABLE TO MEET ASSIGNED TARGETS WITH THE AVAILABLE BUDGET. HE DECIDED TO SHORT CUT THE PROCESS BY PREPARING ONLY PART OF THE PROJECT AREA BEFORE OFFERING THE ENTIRE UNIT FOR SALE. THIS MEANT WE HAD TO COMPLETE THE CURRENT YEARS WORK PROGRAM PLUS FINISH PAST YEARS UNCOMPLETED WORK, AND REMAIN WITHIN BUDGET. THE UNCOMPLETED WORK LOAD RESULTED IN LITTLE TIME TO PROPERLY PREPARE MANAGEMENT PRESCRIPTIONS TO PRIORITIZE FUTURE TREATMENT NEEDS.
I WAS DETERMINED TO COMPLETE ANNUAL WORK PROGRAMS AND ELIMINATE THE BACK-LOG OF UNCOMPLETED WORK. IT SEEMED THE BEST APPROACH WOULD BE TO DEVELOP A VEGETATION INVENTORY OF THE INDIVIDUAL STANDS, SO WE COULD RELY UPON ACCURATE DATA TO SELECT AND PREPARE MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR THE STANDS NEEDING TREATMENT TO IMPROVE VEGETATIVE HEALTH. WE MANAGED TO ELIMINATE THE BACK-LOG IN THE FIRST YEAR, AND BEGIN THE INVENTORY PROCESS. BY THE END OF THE SECOND YEAR, WE HAD FINISHED A PERSONAL VISIT TO EACH INDIVIDUAL STAND ON A TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND ACRE RANGER DISTRICT, A DISTRICT STAND MAP AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM FOR THE DATA.
THERE IS MUCH MORE DETAIL TO THE PROJECT, BUT IT IS SUFFICE TO SAY, THIS EFFORT FORMED THE BASIS FOR MY INTEREST IN UNDERSTANDING FOREST COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS. IN LATER YEARS, I RETURNED TO MY INTEREST IN FOREST ECOSYSTEMS AND FOUND IT DESIRABLE TO CHANGE THE TERMINOLOGY FROM TIMBER STANDS TO FOREST COMMUNITIES.
IN 1965, I ACCEPTED A NEW ASSIGNMENT TO A DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF WORK PROGRAM AT A JOB CORP CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CENTER. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDED WORK AND EDUCATION SKILLS FOR UNDER-PRIVILEGED YOUNG MEN 16 TO 21 YEARS OF AGE. THE REMAINDER OF MY CAREER, PRIMARILY, INVOLVED MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENTS. I FOUND LITTLE TIME TO FOCUS ON MY INTEREST IN STUDYING FOREST COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS. RETIREMENT PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN TO MY EARLIER INTERESTS AND INTENSIFIED MY CONCERNS FOR THE CONTINUED FORESTRY SCIENCE FOCUS ON GROWING TREES AS CROPS.
FOR THE PAST TWENTY YEARS, I HAVE BEEN ANALYZING MY EXPERIENCES AND OBSERVATIONS, ALONG WITH IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS WITH KNOWLEDGEABLE SCIENTISTS, EDUCATORS, THEOLOGIANS AND INDIGENOUS LEADERS. WITH THE INCREASED KNOWLEDGE ABOUT FOREST ECOSYSTEMS, I BEGAN TO REALIZE THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN FUNCTIONING FOREST ECOSYSTEMS AND HUMAN COMMUNITIES. I MUCH PREFER USING COMMUNITIES INSTEAD OF ECOSYSTEMS, AS THE GENERAL PUBLIC TENDS TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT BETTER. I BEGAN WRITING ABOUT THE CONNECTIONS AND DEPENDENCY WE HAVE ON THE NATURAL WORLD. THE ABILITY OF TREES TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER AND TO SHARE WATER AND NUTRIENTS WITH OTHER PLANTS WITHIN THE ECOSYSTEM, INTRIGUED ME.
I JUST FINISHED READING A BOOK ENTITLED, “FINDING THE MOTHER TREE”, BY SUZANNE SIMARD, FOREST ECOLOGIST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE END OF THE BOOK THAT I FULLY REALIZED HER DEFINITION OF THE MOTHER TREE. PROFESSOR SIMARD’S RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS PROVIDES STRONG SUPPORT FOR MY CONCLUSION, THAT UNDERSTANDING FOREST ECOSYSTEMS COMPLEXITIES HAS LOGICAL SIMILARITIES TO HUMAN ECOSYSTEMS OR COMMUNITIES.
THE AUTHOR’S FAMILY BACKGROUND WAS IN THE TIMBER HARVESTING BUSINESS, WHICH INFLUENCED HER INTEREST IN THE MANAGEMENT OF FORESTED LANDS. HER FIRST RESEARCH PROJECTS REVEALED THE CONNECTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PLANTS AND TREES IN THE UNSEEN UNDERGROUND WORLD. THE STUDIES REVEALED THAT NUMEROUS SPECIES OF MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI EXIST WITHIN THE SOILS AND THAT THESE FUNGI INTERACT WITH TREES AND OTHER PLANTS. THERE ARE MILLIONS OF MILES OF MYCELIUM CONNECTING THE ROOTS OF TREES AND PLANTS IN A SYMBIOTIC ASSOCIATION KNOWN AS MYCORRHIZA, FORMING A COMMUNICATION NETWORK BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT PLANT SPECIES. THIS AIDS THE TREE IN ABSORBING MOISTURE AND NUTRIENTS FROM THE SOIL AND PROVIDES FOOD AND SUGARS FOR THE FUNGI. THIS UNDERGROUND NETWORK PROVIDES A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WHICH ALLOWS TREES TO NURTURE THEIR OFF-SPRING AND TO HELP SUPPORT THE WELLNESS OF THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. EVEN WHEN THE PARENT TREE WAS IN A DYING STATE, IT WAS PASSING ITS STORED NITROGEN AND NUTRIENTS TO IT’S OFF-SPRING TO AID IN THEIR HEALTH AND GROWTH. PROFESSOR SIMARD DISCOVERED THE NEUROTRANSMITTERS WITHIN THE TREE ROOTS, WHICH WERE VERY SIMILAR THE NEUROTRANSMITTERS IN THE HUMAN BRAIN AND HEART. THESE NEUROTRANSMITTERS ALLOWED THE MOTHER TREE TO PASS ON WISDOM TO HER YOUNG AND ASSIST THEM IN ADJUSTING TO SEASONAL CHANGES, CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND OTHER LIFE IMPACTING EVENTS.
PROFESSOR SIMARD’S DEDICATION TO HER PROFESSION WAS PARAMOUNT, TO THE POINT IT RESULTED IN PROBLEMS IN HER FAMILY RELATIONS. HER WORK REQUIRED LIVING SEVERAL HOURS DRIVE FROM HER HUSBAND AND CHILDREN DURING THE WEEK. AFTER EXPERIENCING THE SEPARATION OF HER MARRIAGE AND A SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUE, SHE BEGAN TO RELATE TO THE DEDICATION OF TREES TO THEIR YOUNG SEEDLINGS AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. THIS TRIGGERED A REVIEW OF HER FAMILY RELATIONS, CONCERN FOR HER TWO DAUGHTERS AND THE DESIRE FOR CLOSER FAMILY CONNECTIONS. CONSEQUENTLY, THE STORY OF FINDING THE MOTHER TREE, BROUGHT TO LIGHT THE SIMILARITIES TO HUMAN COMMUNITIES AND THE MOTHERLY RESPONSIBILITIES AND INSTINCTS FOUND THROUGHOUT NATURAL LIFE SYSTEMS.
SIMARD’S FINDINGS OF THE COMPLEX FUNCTIONING OF A FOREST ECOSYSTEM AND ITS SIMILARITIES TO A HUMAN COMMUNITY, VALIDATES MY PRESENTATION OF THE FACTS CONTAINED WITHIN MY BOOK, “HUMANITY’S CONNECTION TO THE NATURAL WORLD”. IT JUSTIFIES HOW A FOREST SCIENTIST, STUDYING FOREST ECOSYSTEMS, CAN RELATE TO THE HUMAN WORLD WE LIVE IN? IT IS NOT THE SCIENCE THAT WE RELY UPON, BUT THE ECOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPLEX FUNCTIONING OF ECOSYSTEMS THAT PROVIDES THE WISDOM FOR OUR FUTURE. IT IS AN ECOLOGICAL FOUNDATION, THAT DISCLOSES THE TOTAL CONSEQUENCES OF OUR ACTIONS, THAT ALLOW US TO MAKE REALISTIC DECISIONS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. UNDERSTANDING HOW EARTH SYSTEMS WERE DESIGNED, CREATED AND FUNCTION IS REQUIRED IF WE INTEND TO PROLONG HUMAN LIFE ON PLANET EARTH! MANAGEMENT OF OUR REMAINING FORESTED PUBLIC LANDS MUST STEP INTO A NEW ERA, WITH NEW KNOWLEDGE, EDUCATION AND GOALS. IT REQUIRES ABANDONMENT OF GROWING TREES AS CROPS, AND CONVERTING TO MANAGEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL FOREST ECOSYSTEMS. I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF SCIENTIST AND ECOLOGISTS LIKE SUZANNE SIMARD, BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH. THE KNOWLEDGE OF HOW EARTH SYSTEMS FUNCTION MUST BE INGRAINED IN OUR POLITICAL, CORPORATE, ACADEMIC AND RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS. THERE ARE NO SPECIES THAT CAN SURVIVE ON THEIR OWN. IT IS THE INTER-CONNECTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS DESIGNED INTO THE CREATION OF LIFE SYSTEMS, THAT SUSTAIN LIFE ON EARTH. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE IDENTIFIED ALMOST TEN MILLION DIFFERENT SPECIES ON OUR PLANET, SCIENCE SUGGESTS THERE MAY BE AS MANY AS ANOTHER FIFTY MILLION YET TO BE DISCOVERED. MANKIND’S GREEDY DEMANDS HAVE ALREADY RESULTED IN THE EXTERMINATION OF SEVERAL THOUSAND SPECIES, AND THE LOSSES ARE CONTINUING. SCIENCE PROJECTS WE CAN EXPECT THE LOSS OF 25,000 SPECIES TO EXTINCTION OVER THE NEXT 25 YEARS. COULD THE HUMAN SPECIES BE INCLUDED?
THE ANSWER DEPENDS ON YOU AND ME! OUR DISCONNECTEDNESS AND LOST UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPLEXITY OF HOW NATURE FUNCTIONS, IS ALIENATING US FROM THE NATURAL WORLD. WE POSSES THE WISDOM TO REVERSE THE DAMAGE FROM HUMAN GREED. OUR FUTURE WILL DEPEND UPON OUR WILLINGNESS TO UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT THE INTELLIGENCE OF NATURE!
MY INTEREST IN THE NEED TO RECOGNIZE FOREST COMMUNITIES (ECOSYSTEMS), STARTED IN 1963, WHEN I WAS ASSIGNED TO AN ASSISTANT DISTRICT RANGER POSITION ON THE MARK TWAIN NATIONAL FOREST IN SOUTHERN MISSOURI. IT WAS CLEAR THAT MY MAJOR CHALLENGE WAS TO ASSURE THE DISTRICT MET ASSIGNED ANNUAL TIMBER SALE TARGETS. THE PREVIOUS PERSON ASSIGNED TO THE POSITION, HAD BEEN UNABLE TO MEET ASSIGNED TARGETS WITH THE AVAILABLE BUDGET. HE DECIDED TO SHORT CUT THE PROCESS BY PREPARING ONLY PART OF THE PROJECT AREA BEFORE OFFERING THE ENTIRE UNIT FOR SALE. THIS MEANT WE HAD TO COMPLETE THE CURRENT YEARS WORK PROGRAM PLUS FINISH PAST YEARS UNCOMPLETED WORK, AND REMAIN WITHIN BUDGET. THE UNCOMPLETED WORK LOAD RESULTED IN LITTLE TIME TO PROPERLY PREPARE MANAGEMENT PRESCRIPTIONS TO PRIORITIZE FUTURE TREATMENT NEEDS.
I WAS DETERMINED TO COMPLETE ANNUAL WORK PROGRAMS AND ELIMINATE THE BACK-LOG OF UNCOMPLETED WORK. IT SEEMED THE BEST APPROACH WOULD BE TO DEVELOP A VEGETATION INVENTORY OF THE INDIVIDUAL STANDS, SO WE COULD RELY UPON ACCURATE DATA TO SELECT AND PREPARE MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR THE STANDS NEEDING TREATMENT TO IMPROVE VEGETATIVE HEALTH. WE MANAGED TO ELIMINATE THE BACK-LOG IN THE FIRST YEAR, AND BEGIN THE INVENTORY PROCESS. BY THE END OF THE SECOND YEAR, WE HAD FINISHED A PERSONAL VISIT TO EACH INDIVIDUAL STAND ON A TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND ACRE RANGER DISTRICT, A DISTRICT STAND MAP AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM FOR THE DATA.
THERE IS MUCH MORE DETAIL TO THE PROJECT, BUT IT IS SUFFICE TO SAY, THIS EFFORT FORMED THE BASIS FOR MY INTEREST IN UNDERSTANDING FOREST COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS. IN LATER YEARS, I RETURNED TO MY INTEREST IN FOREST ECOSYSTEMS AND FOUND IT DESIRABLE TO CHANGE THE TERMINOLOGY FROM TIMBER STANDS TO FOREST COMMUNITIES.
IN 1965, I ACCEPTED A NEW ASSIGNMENT TO A DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF WORK PROGRAM AT A JOB CORP CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CENTER. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDED WORK AND EDUCATION SKILLS FOR UNDER-PRIVILEGED YOUNG MEN 16 TO 21 YEARS OF AGE. THE REMAINDER OF MY CAREER, PRIMARILY, INVOLVED MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENTS. I FOUND LITTLE TIME TO FOCUS ON MY INTEREST IN STUDYING FOREST COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS. RETIREMENT PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN TO MY EARLIER INTERESTS AND INTENSIFIED MY CONCERNS FOR THE CONTINUED FORESTRY SCIENCE FOCUS ON GROWING TREES AS CROPS.
FOR THE PAST TWENTY YEARS, I HAVE BEEN ANALYZING MY EXPERIENCES AND OBSERVATIONS, ALONG WITH IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS WITH KNOWLEDGEABLE SCIENTISTS, EDUCATORS, THEOLOGIANS AND INDIGENOUS LEADERS. WITH THE INCREASED KNOWLEDGE ABOUT FOREST ECOSYSTEMS, I BEGAN TO REALIZE THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN FUNCTIONING FOREST ECOSYSTEMS AND HUMAN COMMUNITIES. I MUCH PREFER USING COMMUNITIES INSTEAD OF ECOSYSTEMS, AS THE GENERAL PUBLIC TENDS TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT BETTER. I BEGAN WRITING ABOUT THE CONNECTIONS AND DEPENDENCY WE HAVE ON THE NATURAL WORLD. THE ABILITY OF TREES TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER AND TO SHARE WATER AND NUTRIENTS WITH OTHER PLANTS WITHIN THE ECOSYSTEM, INTRIGUED ME.
I JUST FINISHED READING A BOOK ENTITLED, “FINDING THE MOTHER TREE”, BY SUZANNE SIMARD, FOREST ECOLOGIST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE END OF THE BOOK THAT I FULLY REALIZED HER DEFINITION OF THE MOTHER TREE. PROFESSOR SIMARD’S RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS PROVIDES STRONG SUPPORT FOR MY CONCLUSION, THAT UNDERSTANDING FOREST ECOSYSTEMS COMPLEXITIES HAS LOGICAL SIMILARITIES TO HUMAN ECOSYSTEMS OR COMMUNITIES.
THE AUTHOR’S FAMILY BACKGROUND WAS IN THE TIMBER HARVESTING BUSINESS, WHICH INFLUENCED HER INTEREST IN THE MANAGEMENT OF FORESTED LANDS. HER FIRST RESEARCH PROJECTS REVEALED THE CONNECTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PLANTS AND TREES IN THE UNSEEN UNDERGROUND WORLD. THE STUDIES REVEALED THAT NUMEROUS SPECIES OF MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI EXIST WITHIN THE SOILS AND THAT THESE FUNGI INTERACT WITH TREES AND OTHER PLANTS. THERE ARE MILLIONS OF MILES OF MYCELIUM CONNECTING THE ROOTS OF TREES AND PLANTS IN A SYMBIOTIC ASSOCIATION KNOWN AS MYCORRHIZA, FORMING A COMMUNICATION NETWORK BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT PLANT SPECIES. THIS AIDS THE TREE IN ABSORBING MOISTURE AND NUTRIENTS FROM THE SOIL AND PROVIDES FOOD AND SUGARS FOR THE FUNGI. THIS UNDERGROUND NETWORK PROVIDES A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WHICH ALLOWS TREES TO NURTURE THEIR OFF-SPRING AND TO HELP SUPPORT THE WELLNESS OF THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. EVEN WHEN THE PARENT TREE WAS IN A DYING STATE, IT WAS PASSING ITS STORED NITROGEN AND NUTRIENTS TO IT’S OFF-SPRING TO AID IN THEIR HEALTH AND GROWTH. PROFESSOR SIMARD DISCOVERED THE NEUROTRANSMITTERS WITHIN THE TREE ROOTS, WHICH WERE VERY SIMILAR THE NEUROTRANSMITTERS IN THE HUMAN BRAIN AND HEART. THESE NEUROTRANSMITTERS ALLOWED THE MOTHER TREE TO PASS ON WISDOM TO HER YOUNG AND ASSIST THEM IN ADJUSTING TO SEASONAL CHANGES, CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND OTHER LIFE IMPACTING EVENTS.
PROFESSOR SIMARD’S DEDICATION TO HER PROFESSION WAS PARAMOUNT, TO THE POINT IT RESULTED IN PROBLEMS IN HER FAMILY RELATIONS. HER WORK REQUIRED LIVING SEVERAL HOURS DRIVE FROM HER HUSBAND AND CHILDREN DURING THE WEEK. AFTER EXPERIENCING THE SEPARATION OF HER MARRIAGE AND A SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUE, SHE BEGAN TO RELATE TO THE DEDICATION OF TREES TO THEIR YOUNG SEEDLINGS AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. THIS TRIGGERED A REVIEW OF HER FAMILY RELATIONS, CONCERN FOR HER TWO DAUGHTERS AND THE DESIRE FOR CLOSER FAMILY CONNECTIONS. CONSEQUENTLY, THE STORY OF FINDING THE MOTHER TREE, BROUGHT TO LIGHT THE SIMILARITIES TO HUMAN COMMUNITIES AND THE MOTHERLY RESPONSIBILITIES AND INSTINCTS FOUND THROUGHOUT NATURAL LIFE SYSTEMS.
SIMARD’S FINDINGS OF THE COMPLEX FUNCTIONING OF A FOREST ECOSYSTEM AND ITS SIMILARITIES TO A HUMAN COMMUNITY, VALIDATES MY PRESENTATION OF THE FACTS CONTAINED WITHIN MY BOOK, “HUMANITY’S CONNECTION TO THE NATURAL WORLD”. IT JUSTIFIES HOW A FOREST SCIENTIST, STUDYING FOREST ECOSYSTEMS, CAN RELATE TO THE HUMAN WORLD WE LIVE IN? IT IS NOT THE SCIENCE THAT WE RELY UPON, BUT THE ECOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPLEX FUNCTIONING OF ECOSYSTEMS THAT PROVIDES THE WISDOM FOR OUR FUTURE. IT IS AN ECOLOGICAL FOUNDATION, THAT DISCLOSES THE TOTAL CONSEQUENCES OF OUR ACTIONS, THAT ALLOW US TO MAKE REALISTIC DECISIONS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. UNDERSTANDING HOW EARTH SYSTEMS WERE DESIGNED, CREATED AND FUNCTION IS REQUIRED IF WE INTEND TO PROLONG HUMAN LIFE ON PLANET EARTH! MANAGEMENT OF OUR REMAINING FORESTED PUBLIC LANDS MUST STEP INTO A NEW ERA, WITH NEW KNOWLEDGE, EDUCATION AND GOALS. IT REQUIRES ABANDONMENT OF GROWING TREES AS CROPS, AND CONVERTING TO MANAGEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL FOREST ECOSYSTEMS. I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF SCIENTIST AND ECOLOGISTS LIKE SUZANNE SIMARD, BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH. THE KNOWLEDGE OF HOW EARTH SYSTEMS FUNCTION MUST BE INGRAINED IN OUR POLITICAL, CORPORATE, ACADEMIC AND RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS. THERE ARE NO SPECIES THAT CAN SURVIVE ON THEIR OWN. IT IS THE INTER-CONNECTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS DESIGNED INTO THE CREATION OF LIFE SYSTEMS, THAT SUSTAIN LIFE ON EARTH. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE IDENTIFIED ALMOST TEN MILLION DIFFERENT SPECIES ON OUR PLANET, SCIENCE SUGGESTS THERE MAY BE AS MANY AS ANOTHER FIFTY MILLION YET TO BE DISCOVERED. MANKIND’S GREEDY DEMANDS HAVE ALREADY RESULTED IN THE EXTERMINATION OF SEVERAL THOUSAND SPECIES, AND THE LOSSES ARE CONTINUING. SCIENCE PROJECTS WE CAN EXPECT THE LOSS OF 25,000 SPECIES TO EXTINCTION OVER THE NEXT 25 YEARS. COULD THE HUMAN SPECIES BE INCLUDED?
THE ANSWER DEPENDS ON YOU AND ME! OUR DISCONNECTEDNESS AND LOST UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPLEXITY OF HOW NATURE FUNCTIONS, IS ALIENATING US FROM THE NATURAL WORLD. WE POSSES THE WISDOM TO REVERSE THE DAMAGE FROM HUMAN GREED. OUR FUTURE WILL DEPEND UPON OUR WILLINGNESS TO UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT THE INTELLIGENCE OF NATURE!
