DeeVon Quirolo

Co-founder/Executive Director, REEF RELIEF

Today's Date: August 29, 2006

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

I was born in South Florida and my earliest memories feature swimming at the beach as a young child; I have always lived near the ocean.

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

see above

Now? The coral reefs of the Florida Keys were an incredible underwater world when I first saw them in the 1980's. That beauty and diversity and joy made living in Key West at that time an exceptional experience. I could walk around a nearby island to harvest enough conch for dinner in those days and the water was "gin-clear" as they called it.

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

My favorite is the sea turtle; wise and slow and ever moving forward, voyaging around the world.

My other favorite is the dolphin, spritely and free, expressing the joyful abandon of living in the ocean.

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?

The decline of our oceans that support our food chain, atmosphere, economy, and quality of life.

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

Every journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step; so be the change in your own life; make a small difference every day by adopting an ecofriendly lifestyle that respects all the diversity of life around you and encourage others to be respectful as well. Resist the mainstream mindset that accepts the notion that it is ok deplete all our natural resources for our immediate short term pleasure.