Kani Meyer

Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, Kentucky

Today's Date: 8/28/06

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

Perhaps the most moving experience was the sight of female leatherback turtles struggling to haul themselves up a beach in Trinidad to lay their eggs. The thought that this action has been going on for thousands of years (perhaps millions) and that these habitats are now endangered by humans made it a particularly poignant experience.

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

Growing up I had the wonderful experience of spending summers on an island in Maine. We hiked mossy trails, boated to nearby islands to rock hop around their perimeters, visited remote fishing communities and just had the time and interest to learn the plants and birds of the region.

Now? I am on that island as I write this. I am the 8th generation here so the roots grow deeply.

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

I really have no favorite...I love and respect all animals except, maybe the tick...

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?

Human population and the pressure it puts on all the other organisms with which we share this planet is the biggest threat I see today. We need to realize that the planet is not here to serve us but that we are here due to the nature that surrounds us and that has informed our evolution.

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

Humans are causing the largest environmental changes that are happening today. We must remember that life on Earth will go on, but that we as a species may not due to our impetuous misuse and misunderstanding of how Earth systems work.