Thanks to my sister Michelle McIlroy for designing the logo!

Welcome!

Ever since I was a child, I have been very interested in nature and the environment. I have a B.S. degree in wildlife biology, and have worked as a zookeeper, wildlife biologist, and ecologist. I am conducting a brief survey of world leaders, government officials, religious leaders, corporate CEOs, environmental groups, wildlife experts, and others regarding nature and the environment. I am also very interested in religious views, customs, and beliefs from around the world, and the interactions between religion, culture, society, and the environment. This is something I am doing out of personal interest, and is not connected to any group or organization. I have been working on this project since the summer of 2006, and hope to eventually turn it into a book and/or documentary. I am hoping to make this into a global project, with responses from all segments of society. Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions or comments. If you have not already done so, I hope that you will consider taking part in my project, and please spread the word to anyone you think might be interested! Thanks for stopping by!

TAKE THE SURVEY ONLINE HERE http://tinyurl.com/nx4ng7

July 20, 2006

Amartya Saha

University of Miami

Today's Date: July 20, 2006

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you ?

I’ve been interested in freshwater aquatic ecosystems since childhood, and the realization that in many parts of the world they are under threat, or are already being degraded made me wish to work towards their conservation. Mainly fishes, but also macroinvertebrates, amphibians, mollusks, etc.

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

Yes, the Himalayas and Western Ghats mountain ranges in India, Arabian Sea beaches outside of Bombay, ponds in Bengal

Now? Florida Everglades, southern Arizona, cloud forests in Peru, savannah in Brazil, Atlantic forest remnants in Misiones, Argentina

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?

animal.. hmm.. rhinos perhaps. i saw some in Kaziranga National Park in India long ago, and their size, speed and combination of gentle minding their business peacefully grazing combined with their power impressed me. But there are many other animals...

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

degradation of land (through intensive agriculture mainly), threats to water resources (flow alterations, various forms of pollution), loss of biodiversity

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

try and use less of everything, try reuse ( and not just recycle ) -- could be bottles, paper.. think where the item or energy came from, what ecosystems were destroyed by mining for metal or production of pulp for packaging, pollution due to manufacturing and transport...the basic concepts of one's ecological footprint. Now depending on where one lives, there are limitations to how much one can reduce this footprint. But there still is a range of consumption and reuse, and one can decrease it.
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