Warren W. Aney

Senior Wildlife Ecologist (self-employed/semi-retired)

Today’s Date: 7 April 2008

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

Impact? Wild animals generally have tried to avoid me so we have never had an impact event. And I tried to avoid falling off cliffs or running into trees, so never had this kind of impact event with nature. That is, unless you count the time I tried to avoid impacting a rabbit with my pickup and my wife slid off the slick seat and impacted the dashboard (no seat belt). Seriously, I have had many events with animals and nature that had an effect on me and it would be difficult to pick out one as the "biggest" -- there's the effect of the first deer I killed, seeing a cougar skirt through the trees while on a wilderness horseback trip, watching otters play on a beach in Alaska, or just taking a group of city kids on an exploratory walk through a bit of wildland forest.

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

The riverbed, islands and cliffbanks of the bedrock channel of the Umatilla River right off our backyard.

Now? Steens Mountain in Oregon's portion of the northern Great Basin

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

The river otter -- because it knows how to play and avoid taking everything too seriously

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?

Economic growth and human overconsumption, both now and in the future.

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

My advice would be to avoid saying "impact" when you mean "effect" -- or maybe my better advice would be to effectively invest yourself and your time in the natural world; be a firsthand participant in nature by observing, interacting, exploring, examining, sketching, recording, camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, watching, calling, climbing, listening, smelling, eating and otherwise being a part of this wonder-filled realm. And make sure your our children have the same experiences.