Anonymous

2006-7 Fulbright Scholar, Philippines, affiliated with the University of San Carlos in Cebu City

Today’s Date: 13 January 2007

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

I find this question difficult to answer because it implies a dichotomy between people and nature, which my training in anthropology has mostly expunged. Thinking dichotomously, though, I have to say the most meaningful interaction I have had with a non-human animal was with the Yellow Lab our family had when I was growing up. That and other friendships (?) I have had with domesticated animals over the years have led me to the belief that pets truly can improve one’s quality of life. Other than that, I think hiking is always an amazing experience, especially in unfamiliar surroundings. My ability to think clearly and abstractly is at its best when I’m in a secluded wood surrounded by nothing but “nature.”

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

My childhood home was located beside a watershed at the edge of the Coronado National Forest just outside Tucson, Arizona. Although I now wish that construction had never taken place anywhere near the area, having a mixed desert/riparian ecosystem at our doorstep was a real treat. After the monsoon, when the risk of flash floods was gone, we used to take our dogs down to the creek and attempt to build rafts out of sticks and small logs. Some of my most treasured memories are imbued with the sights of cottonwood trees, prickly pares, and the occasional bobcat; the sounds of cicadas, coyotes, and rushing water; the touch of warm sand and silty creekbeds; and the smells of creosote and wet dog.

Now? I feel like it changes all the time. I still love the Coronado area, and Sedona, AZ, is of course peerless. However, living as I do in the Philippines’ “last frontier”, I’ll have to go with El Nido, a municipality in the northern reaches of the province. One just can’t beat the quadruple coincidence of turquoise seas, white sands, limestone cliffs, and primary-growth rainforests. Not to mention some really unique creatures and a seemingly boundless inventory of beautiful flora.

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

That darn dichotomy again. My favorite animal is taxonomized as Homo sapiens sapiens. Yes, people. Why? Because they can talk and write and sing and dance and cry. And argue and grow vegetables. And it’s easy to find them “in the wild.”

As for non-human animas, I like water buffaloes or karaboa as they’re called here. In this part of the Philippines, they are the primary beasts of burden. Yet, of course, they are ignored by the eco-tourism firms in their celebration of the mouse deer, cockatoos, and whale sharks. I’m thinking of starting a Save-the-Karaboa foundation to free them from their servitude, which surely must be an enemy of biodiversity :)

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?

I think willful ignorance and apathy are the greatest challenges. I offer the US government and most of that country’s consumers, including myself, as my evidence. As long as oil, defense, and other military-industrial oligarchs are seen as viable political leaders, we will never make the switch to renewable energy sources or tackle the fundamental problem of global inequality that is driving environmental degradation in the developing world.

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

You are the problem, but you also have the potential to be the solution. Just don’t wait for the government to tell you how to start your transformation.

Alexandre de Lichtervelde

Belgian Federal Ministry of Environment

Today's Date: 11 January 2007

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

Watching blue whales and sperm whales in the Arctic Ocean.

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

Woods and rivers.

Now? The ocean and the mountains in South America.

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

Dogs for domestic animals because they stay with you when you are studying; wild horses for their beauty and liberty.

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?

Climate change now and biodiversity loss in the near future.

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

Go out everyday and try to connect yourself to nature to get inspiration. Open your eyes when traveling: so much is happening regarding the environment.

Paula Fitzsimmons

PJ Publications and Gifts (http://www.pjpublications.com)

Today’s Date: 1/10/07

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

I have had several, but one that particularly comes to mind is the first time I saw dolphins swimming in the ocean. It was early morning, and the sun was just coming up, and they were very close to shore. I was in awe of the magnificence of the ocean and the dolphins.

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

I grew up in the city so there were not a whole lot of outdoorsy places, aside from forest preserves and public parks. I liked it when our family would take rides in the country.

Now? Not really a favorite; there are several.

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

Parrots.. because they are a link to our natural world; their beauty; their intuitiveness; their flying ability; their intelligence; their sociability.

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?

There are many, but I would say global warming is a big challenge now, and will continue to be in the future. It will have many repercussions on our environment, animals, and us. Great damage has already been done, and I believe it will take a lot of effort on the part of our government and business, to stop the damage we have done. Although we are being made aware of global warming and its effects, I'm not sure much is being done to remedy it. A second major challenge would be extinction of species, especially of birds.

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

Understand that we humans are a part of nature, not separate from it.

Tamara Dormer

Dog Caregiver, Best Friends Animal Society

Today's Date: 01/10/07

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

seeing a coyote in the wild for the 1st time

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

not really, my front yard (which was huge)

Now? The trail where I walk dogs on the sanctuary, Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, Johnson Canyon, UT

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

Well, I love dogs, cats, and horses. But my favorite animals in the wild are polar bears and wolves. Polar bears as they are just so beautiful and massive living in such an extreme environment; wolves, because they are so close to dogs, yet are so mysterious and beautiful.

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?

Global warming, and the over-use of fossil fuels. Also polluting our earth and air. Both now and in the future, if we do not cease and desist using the earth for our playground.

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

Please, please be careful and gentle. Use just the tiniest bit you can, and replace it many fold over if possible. Respect every living thing.

Barbara Moscato

Accountant and Bird rescue volunteer

Today’s Date: 1/10/2007

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

When I was naive enough to purchase a cockatoo, this lead to all kinds of awakening within me about pet stewardship, wildlife, the environment and the world that we all must share and protect.

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

Yes, down at the shore in Connecticut, I used to spend hours searching out animals and trying to befriend them. Once my folks were searching and calling for me at the beach but I could not answer because I did not want to startle the duck that I had gotten to sit on my lap. It took a long time to gain his trust so that I could pet him!

Now? I love the Adirondacks in New York. This is the most pristine area I've been to. If you like solitude and nature, this is the place to go.

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

I love birds, all kinds of birds . They fascinate me with their beauty and intelligence. My cockatoo will live 80 years or more, longer than me. My greatest challenge is keeping him happy while I go through hoops trying every toy, bell, whistle, ball, whatever to keep him engaged and as happy as possible, while avoiding loosing any fingers. He has taken over my life! But I love all my birds! I have 9 of them, each has their own special personality.

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?

Our greatest environmental challenge is stemming the threat of global warming to our planet. We must act quickly to change our energy usage to some other form that does not continue to pollute our atmosphere with more greenhouse gases. We must stop the deforestation that is occurring all around the globe. This not only is eliminating vital habit at for so many species but we need the trees to keep carbon dioxide in check! As far as the future is concerned, and if we can control global warming, I think our future challenge will be to feed the planet. There are very simply too many of us for the earth to support. Eventually demand will outrun supplies of water and food.

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

Love the earth, enjoy its beauty and diversity and leave it better than you found it. Live and let live, do not harm any living creature large or small.

Rosemary Roberts

graduate student in anthropology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec

Today’s Date: January 10, 2007

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

This is difficult to answer, as there have been many such interactions in my life. I have always loved animals and being outside in nature, and had many important experiences with both.

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

I have always loved the forests of the Pacific Northwest, where I grew up and where my family still lives. There were several spots in the temperate rainforests of the region that I would have considered my favorites. One in particular that stands out is a section of real old-growth in the Olympic National Forest of Washington.

Now? More recently, I have explored other parts of the world, been on the tops of mountains, and in hot, dry deserts. While I had incredible experiences in various places, I still consider the forests of the PNW to be my real home.

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

I have always had an affinity for cats, both large and small. I've had cats as pets off an on throughout my life, and find it gratifying to live with them. In terms of non-domesticated animals, I have always really liked bats. But it's tough, as I've never come across an animal I didn't like.

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?

Right now, the greatest challenge is getting the people and the government to realize what we are doing, and to start taking steps toward more sustainable living.

I hope that this will not still be the greatest challenge a few years down the road. We will need to put our resources into finding alternatives for when the oil runs out, and for when we have no more fresh water. Those seem to be the most pressing depletions facing us.

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

Well, right now I am trying to tell everyone I know about cleaning with alternatives to harmful chemical products. In particular, I recently found out about uncloging drains with baking soda and vinegar instead of drano, which is toxic and pollutes the water system.

I can't just leave it at one; my other mission at the moment is sharing information with the women I know about alternatives to tampons and pads. There are several companies now making reusable products, which are environmentally-friendly in that they don't use paper resources, take far less energy to produce, and don't end up in the landfill, and woman-friendly in that they don't import harmful chemicals into our bodies, and cost us a lot less over time.

I believe that the most effective way, at this point, to combat the destruction of our planet and everything that lives on it--including us--is by sharing ideas with each other on the little things (which turn out not to be so little) that we can change in our lives. It's great to say "drive less" and "recycle more", but when people are presented with a viable alternative to something they use, I think they are more likely to make the change and to stick with it, which then makes a difference in the world.

Kathleen Garness

principal, KMG Fine Arts

Today's Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2007.

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

The opportunity to observe orchids in their native habitat and to become involved with their conservation.

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

Gardens planted by my neighbors - we lived in a very small apartment and I definitely was starved for the outdoors! Illinois Beach State Park in Zion IL, a National Natural Landmark, is a very close second or a tie for favorite.

Now? I steward a forest preserve in the Chicago region. I LOVE it there, tho I have to be careful of ticks, snakes, deer, wolves, coyotes and bobcats. And poison ivy and unsteady trees... Perhaps the element of danger, unsuspected and always around the corner, adds an element of excitement to my time in the woods doing management and monitoring...

I also love the Chicago Wilderness community of scientists and fellow stewards, and really enjoy helping them out on their workdays.

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

I think the horse. They are so regal, so beautiful, and have such an intimate history of involvement with the human species and its progress. I was recently at the Field Museum of Natural History where I saw how horses evolved from the size of terriers, with little toes, to what they are today! Amazing! I would love to see the native and wild horses - zebras, and others - in their native habitat someday.
Lovely!

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 greatest environmental challenge right now is our urge to acquire, to compete with others about the goods we have or desire.

Our discontent with the humble reality of our lives. We seek social validation and status from our possessions, when in reality our greatest possession is our ability to care for one another, to be in relationship with one another, and to use our minds and hands in a creative, thoughtful manner. When we are bored with something, when it no longer gives us status, we discard it, whether or not it has come to the end of its useful life. We take no thought for how its disposal will poison our water or soil for the generations to come.

Also, I think that the majority of the world's population is struggling to find socially useful and truly meaningful work, and are becoming increasingly more disconnected from the sources of their food and from nature. This is one reason for social unrest over the ages. The global trend that moves people from agriculture and home industry to crowded urban conditions seems very unhealthy to me. We are rapidly becoming the serfs of the megacorporations, in the service of our appetites, and that disturbs me greatly.

The greatest challenge facing us in the future is undoing the past one hundred years of environmental damage while preserving the freedom to continue to do so, and to work toward social justice at the same time. We need to create a sustainable future for the human race or WE will be on the Threatened/Endangered species list next. We are currently in the sixth period of massive extinctions in the earth's multi-billion year history, and it is all due to man's inability to work together and find sustainable solutions for the challenges inherent in technological progress.

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

Protect it carefully from development and be thoughtful about what you purchase and eventually dispose of. Insist that cities be built up, not out, capitalizing on already-available space and infrastructure. Protect our natural resources, especially freshwater resources, for our grandchildren and the generations after them.

Insist on preserving biodiversity in our public lands. Aldo Leopald once said "The first principle of intelligent tinkering is to keep all the parts." Well, that's several pieces of advice, all rolled into one: Protect our environment and irreplaceable natural resources with all your heart and mind and soul.

Cheryl Schachter

High School English Teacher and Wiccan

Today's Date: January 9, 2007

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

The interactions with animals which have had the biggest impact on me are my relationships with domesticated animals: horses, dogs and cats. Animals have always been a part of my existence. Co-existing with them has added joy to my life.

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

Definitely the beach. I lived my entire teenage years at the beach and in the ocean.

Now? Still the beach except now I am in Northern California so I hunt for agates and take long walks rather than my Southern California youth when I laid in the sun and swam in the warm water.

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

Wild horses, they are majestic, free, intelligent and beautiful.

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?

Our greatest challenge is to change our current behavior to reflect the needs for the future of the planet. In the future we will be challenged with a lack of fresh, available water.

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

One person CAN make a difference.

James Lowen

Private Citizen, Argentina (http://www.pbase.com/james_lowen)

Today's Date: January 9, 2007

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

Aged 3, seeing a Common Buzzard in SW England - prompted my interest in birds.

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

Yes: my local reservoir in Yorkshire, N England, and local migratory watchpoint on the Yorkshire coast.

Now? Probably the Galapagos, a dream destination that I finally visited a few years a go.

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

Probably the pale-winged trumpeter, an amazonian chicken-like bird. Because of a fabulous close encounter with it in Ecuador a few years ago. The bird has personality, man!

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?

Climate change. Water shortages.

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

Cutting greenhouse gas emissions now will save money later.

Jean-Michel Pavy

World Bank - Zambia Country Office

Today's Date: 1/8/07

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

adventure hunting in Mali going down rivers in canoes with friends.

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

Mali. Mont Mandingues

Now? Kafue NP, Zambia

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

Bushbuck, because it resists everywhere to environmental degradation

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?

Land transformation & global warming

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

Your behavior matters ...