Wildlife Coordinator - Energy Minerals Counties Coalition
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
Humpback whale
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
The ocean
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
Any kind of cat. I just have a connection with them
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?
Pollution - NOT carbon emissions, but litter and pollution of the oceans
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
Our natural resources are being extracted by more and more environmentally-friendly methods, and land reclamation is completed quickly and efficiently. Stop fighting the benefits of their use and start worrying about real issues.
In this blog I will post results of a short environmental survey that I have sent to government officials, religious leaders, corporate CEOs, wildlife experts, and others. Click Here to take the survey ***DISCLAIMER- The views expressed in the surveys are personal views of the respondents, and are not to be taken as official statements.***
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
TAKE THE SURVEY ONLINE HERE http://tinyurl.com/nx4ng7
March 13, 2010
Chris MacIntosh
Private Citizen
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
So hard to say, so many. Living now in the SF Bay Area, I am still astounded that I can go to see elephant seals in their natural environment every winter. That's one of those things I still think is only a "TV program" event. When I was perhaps 7 or 8, I remember going to the Edinburgh Zoo and seeing this sign "elephant seal". Of course I knew what an elephant was, and what a seal was, but the 2 names together? I was so awed when I moved here and discovered this almost-mythical animal right here!
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
Yellowstone NP will always have a huge place in my heart. I spent 3 summers working for the concession, moving there from Manhattan (NY). I first learned about hiking, backpacking, developed my curiosity about the natural world and geology, and have never been an urbanite again.
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
Domestic animal: cats "wild" or zoo animal: snow leopard evokes memories of childhood visits to Whipsnade Zoo, where they had a pair (this was back in the 1950s and 60s) which I thought were such beautiful cats with their markings and thick tails.
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?
Excessive population of humans: this magnifies the effects of everything else we do not respect enough to ensure the long-term survival and thriving of (sorry, terrible grammar).
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
Learn to share. Within the human community we try to help and not harm others. We should try to extend that attitude to other species.
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
So hard to say, so many. Living now in the SF Bay Area, I am still astounded that I can go to see elephant seals in their natural environment every winter. That's one of those things I still think is only a "TV program" event. When I was perhaps 7 or 8, I remember going to the Edinburgh Zoo and seeing this sign "elephant seal". Of course I knew what an elephant was, and what a seal was, but the 2 names together? I was so awed when I moved here and discovered this almost-mythical animal right here!
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
Yellowstone NP will always have a huge place in my heart. I spent 3 summers working for the concession, moving there from Manhattan (NY). I first learned about hiking, backpacking, developed my curiosity about the natural world and geology, and have never been an urbanite again.
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
Domestic animal: cats "wild" or zoo animal: snow leopard evokes memories of childhood visits to Whipsnade Zoo, where they had a pair (this was back in the 1950s and 60s) which I thought were such beautiful cats with their markings and thick tails.
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?
Excessive population of humans: this magnifies the effects of everything else we do not respect enough to ensure the long-term survival and thriving of (sorry, terrible grammar).
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
Learn to share. Within the human community we try to help and not harm others. We should try to extend that attitude to other species.
Bruce H. Campbell
Retired Wildlife Ecologist
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
Working with Alaska brown bears from 1984-88. a magnificent animal.
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
Yes. East Eagle Creek in the wallowa mountains of north eastern OR. Spent many weekends there while growing up. Now still the same place and I wish I could still spend weekends there.
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
Alaska brown bear because they are huge powerhouses that, for the most part, are pretty laid back. In my four years working hands-on with them, I never had a negative experience with one. Had many face-to-face encounters including female with 2 yo cubs. I'm not afraid of this animal but I have a huge amount of respect for them.
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?
Continued habitat loss including the Amazon forest. The future challenge will be global warming.
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
Enjoy and take care of them. They belong to our children.
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
Working with Alaska brown bears from 1984-88. a magnificent animal.
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
Yes. East Eagle Creek in the wallowa mountains of north eastern OR. Spent many weekends there while growing up. Now still the same place and I wish I could still spend weekends there.
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
Alaska brown bear because they are huge powerhouses that, for the most part, are pretty laid back. In my four years working hands-on with them, I never had a negative experience with one. Had many face-to-face encounters including female with 2 yo cubs. I'm not afraid of this animal but I have a huge amount of respect for them.
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?
Continued habitat loss including the Amazon forest. The future challenge will be global warming.
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
Enjoy and take care of them. They belong to our children.
David Mozer
Director - International Bicycle Fund (www.ibike.org)
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
Seeing wildlife around me riding a bicycle. The has happened both in Africa and North America. The world seems unencumbered at those moments.
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
As a child I love the waterfalls of the Cascade Mountains (Washington State, USA). I still like the combination of mountains and raging rivers.
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
Black and white colobus monkey.
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?
private automobiles now. population in the future (starting now).
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
It takes much longer for a wound to heal that it does to cause one. This goes for wounding and poisoning Mother Nature as well.
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
Seeing wildlife around me riding a bicycle. The has happened both in Africa and North America. The world seems unencumbered at those moments.
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
As a child I love the waterfalls of the Cascade Mountains (Washington State, USA). I still like the combination of mountains and raging rivers.
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
Black and white colobus monkey.
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?
private automobiles now. population in the future (starting now).
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
It takes much longer for a wound to heal that it does to cause one. This goes for wounding and poisoning Mother Nature as well.
Katie Mason
Oregon State University
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
I am eternally grateful that my parents made sure that our family spent a lot of time outdoors. We hiked and camped and gardened and fished and gathered mushrooms and cross-country skiied and kayaked/canoed, and many other things. While we were engaged in these activities we were always encouraged to observe what was going on around us, lie down and watch a spider spinning a web or ants disassembling a dead mouse or a cicada shedding its skin. We always had plant and animal identification books with us and spent time identifying things and learning about them - their range, the conditions best suited to their flourishing. This appreciation and participation in the outdoors has shaped my attitude about conservation, recreation and my own lifestyle.
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
My favorite places in the outdoors during my childhood were my backyard in Portland, OR (my parents lived in the city but had fruit trees, flowers, and a vegetable garden and there was always so much to do and explore in the backyard), my grandma's tree farm in Virginia (I believe it was a white pine tree farm, but basically for me it was like summer camp - swimming, fishing and canoeing in the pond, walking in the woods, learning to shoot a rifle and a bow and arrow, gardening, catching lightning bugs, watching cicadas and snakes shed their skins), and the Columbia River Gorge where my family regularly hiked and gathered mushrooms (chanterelles and morels). Today I would say that my favorite places in the outdoors are the Oregon coast, the Cascade Mountain range and the high desert of Eastern Oregon - I am a Pacific Northwesterner and find myself feeling closest/most connected to the world around me and any higher power there might be, when I am outdoors. The coast is so beautiful whether it's sunny and breezy or cold, raining and gale force winds. The ocean is mesmerizing and always makes me feel a bit small and put things in perspective. I think I feel most in my element when I am hiking in the temperate rainforest of the Cascade Mtns and the Columbia River Gorge - they are so verdant and there is so much going on that is worth exploring, looking at, watching - there is something very calming about this as well. Eastern Oregon is so different from Western Oregon - I am coming to appreciate the rather starker beauty of it - the colors are amazing and the sense of space is pretty wonderful as well. I find the light is often quite magical in Eastern Oregon. I went to college in Massachusetts and, while New England is a beautiful part of the world, I never felt as connected to the outdoors, even when out hiking or bicycling - I don't know if it had to do with how the space feels or what.
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
It's hard to choose just one favorite. I have always liked river otters because of their playfulness. I have very fond memories of a pair of guinea pigs we had when I was a child - they had such personalities and go into all kinds of mischief. I find birds fascinating - their physical structure as well as their social systems. I love domestic cats and dogs and have a couple of each - their companionship and personalities can't be beat for city living. Meerkats are hysterically funny. I guess I'm drawn to animals who's social system and individual personalities are evident, upon observation, to me. For example, while I studied fisheries management policy in graduate school, I do not find fish all that interesting. I understand that I may be projecting human emotions onto animals at times, but often times animals really do have their own personalities and their social systems and hierarchies are fascinating.
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?
Habitat loss resulting in species loss of plants, insects, and animals. Habitat loss can come from expansion of human settlements, flooding/melting associated with global climate change, clearing for agriculture and fuel wood, resource extraction, etc.
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
Learn about it, get out in it and enjoy it in a respectful manner and you will feel compelled to protect it in one way or another. It really can help you feel connected to the rest of the organisms on the planet and help us realize that our lives, while important, may not be the only important lives on the planet, and our troubles, while important, may not be the biggest troubles on the planet, and that we're not always the apex species (like when you're hiking through the woods and suddenly realize a bear or mountain lion has been through there recently and you think "in a fair fight (ie no guns) I wouldn't win"...not a bad thing to be reminded of every once in a while - especially when we get to thinking ourselves pretty amazing and indestructible.
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
I am eternally grateful that my parents made sure that our family spent a lot of time outdoors. We hiked and camped and gardened and fished and gathered mushrooms and cross-country skiied and kayaked/canoed, and many other things. While we were engaged in these activities we were always encouraged to observe what was going on around us, lie down and watch a spider spinning a web or ants disassembling a dead mouse or a cicada shedding its skin. We always had plant and animal identification books with us and spent time identifying things and learning about them - their range, the conditions best suited to their flourishing. This appreciation and participation in the outdoors has shaped my attitude about conservation, recreation and my own lifestyle.
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
My favorite places in the outdoors during my childhood were my backyard in Portland, OR (my parents lived in the city but had fruit trees, flowers, and a vegetable garden and there was always so much to do and explore in the backyard), my grandma's tree farm in Virginia (I believe it was a white pine tree farm, but basically for me it was like summer camp - swimming, fishing and canoeing in the pond, walking in the woods, learning to shoot a rifle and a bow and arrow, gardening, catching lightning bugs, watching cicadas and snakes shed their skins), and the Columbia River Gorge where my family regularly hiked and gathered mushrooms (chanterelles and morels). Today I would say that my favorite places in the outdoors are the Oregon coast, the Cascade Mountain range and the high desert of Eastern Oregon - I am a Pacific Northwesterner and find myself feeling closest/most connected to the world around me and any higher power there might be, when I am outdoors. The coast is so beautiful whether it's sunny and breezy or cold, raining and gale force winds. The ocean is mesmerizing and always makes me feel a bit small and put things in perspective. I think I feel most in my element when I am hiking in the temperate rainforest of the Cascade Mtns and the Columbia River Gorge - they are so verdant and there is so much going on that is worth exploring, looking at, watching - there is something very calming about this as well. Eastern Oregon is so different from Western Oregon - I am coming to appreciate the rather starker beauty of it - the colors are amazing and the sense of space is pretty wonderful as well. I find the light is often quite magical in Eastern Oregon. I went to college in Massachusetts and, while New England is a beautiful part of the world, I never felt as connected to the outdoors, even when out hiking or bicycling - I don't know if it had to do with how the space feels or what.
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
It's hard to choose just one favorite. I have always liked river otters because of their playfulness. I have very fond memories of a pair of guinea pigs we had when I was a child - they had such personalities and go into all kinds of mischief. I find birds fascinating - their physical structure as well as their social systems. I love domestic cats and dogs and have a couple of each - their companionship and personalities can't be beat for city living. Meerkats are hysterically funny. I guess I'm drawn to animals who's social system and individual personalities are evident, upon observation, to me. For example, while I studied fisheries management policy in graduate school, I do not find fish all that interesting. I understand that I may be projecting human emotions onto animals at times, but often times animals really do have their own personalities and their social systems and hierarchies are fascinating.
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?
Habitat loss resulting in species loss of plants, insects, and animals. Habitat loss can come from expansion of human settlements, flooding/melting associated with global climate change, clearing for agriculture and fuel wood, resource extraction, etc.
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
Learn about it, get out in it and enjoy it in a respectful manner and you will feel compelled to protect it in one way or another. It really can help you feel connected to the rest of the organisms on the planet and help us realize that our lives, while important, may not be the only important lives on the planet, and our troubles, while important, may not be the biggest troubles on the planet, and that we're not always the apex species (like when you're hiking through the woods and suddenly realize a bear or mountain lion has been through there recently and you think "in a fair fight (ie no guns) I wouldn't win"...not a bad thing to be reminded of every once in a while - especially when we get to thinking ourselves pretty amazing and indestructible.
Mr Keith Smith
Private Citizen
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
My dad taking me to see a white badger at night in Epping Forest.
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
As a child it was the london canals and marshes. Now my local woodlands and also Northumberland.
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
Owls because although many are well studied many are not and i think there is still much to learn about them.
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?
Without doubt the loss of natural habitats. Global warming will not be a problem if re - generation of the great jungles can be a possibility they are the lungs of the world.
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
Look after your planet and its wonders it's the only one we have.
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
My dad taking me to see a white badger at night in Epping Forest.
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
As a child it was the london canals and marshes. Now my local woodlands and also Northumberland.
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
Owls because although many are well studied many are not and i think there is still much to learn about them.
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?
Without doubt the loss of natural habitats. Global warming will not be a problem if re - generation of the great jungles can be a possibility they are the lungs of the world.
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
Look after your planet and its wonders it's the only one we have.
Bill Hilton Jr.
Executive Director - Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
When I was in 7th grade I brought a Praying Mantis to my science teacher who asked me to present it to the class. The big insect crawled up my sleeve and got inside my shirt, which got such a positive crowd response I decided to become a biology teacher.
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
The woods near my house in Brookline, a suburb of Pittsburgh PA. Hilton Pond (York SC) is where I live and work and enjoy nature most.
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
I'm sort of into hummingbirds at this point; I conduct research on Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in the U.S. and Central America.
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?
Loss of habitat through the abuse of natural resources will just about doom us and many of the organisms with which we share the planet. It may be we've already reached the tipping point and can do nothing to save ourselves.
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
We should have wise dominion over the world, and not try to dominate it.
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
When I was in 7th grade I brought a Praying Mantis to my science teacher who asked me to present it to the class. The big insect crawled up my sleeve and got inside my shirt, which got such a positive crowd response I decided to become a biology teacher.
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
The woods near my house in Brookline, a suburb of Pittsburgh PA. Hilton Pond (York SC) is where I live and work and enjoy nature most.
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
I'm sort of into hummingbirds at this point; I conduct research on Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in the U.S. and Central America.
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?
Loss of habitat through the abuse of natural resources will just about doom us and many of the organisms with which we share the planet. It may be we've already reached the tipping point and can do nothing to save ourselves.
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
We should have wise dominion over the world, and not try to dominate it.
Claudia Munera
Biologist/Consultant, Guatemala
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
I don't think it was a particular interaction, I prefer to talk about several...my mother is an animal and nature lover and then she influence in my personal perception about animals, I grew up with animals both in my house and in the family farms. Once as adult and as a biology student discovering the world of birds was very important for me.
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
Yes, I had plenty in one of the farms where we used to lived when I was a child, I love a small patch of andean forest, and to lay in a water tank that was located in front of a mountain with pines (it wasn't native pines, but at that age I didn't knew about that).
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
Birds, and may especially owls and toucans. We had a small Tropical Screech Owl that fell from its nest and we take care of him...
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?
Currently, habitat transformation due deforestation and contamination. Then in the future we will face the consequences as climate change, famines and lack of water.
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
Save water, reduce overcomsuption, walk instead of drive whenever is possible
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
I don't think it was a particular interaction, I prefer to talk about several...my mother is an animal and nature lover and then she influence in my personal perception about animals, I grew up with animals both in my house and in the family farms. Once as adult and as a biology student discovering the world of birds was very important for me.
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
Yes, I had plenty in one of the farms where we used to lived when I was a child, I love a small patch of andean forest, and to lay in a water tank that was located in front of a mountain with pines (it wasn't native pines, but at that age I didn't knew about that).
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
Birds, and may especially owls and toucans. We had a small Tropical Screech Owl that fell from its nest and we take care of him...
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?
Currently, habitat transformation due deforestation and contamination. Then in the future we will face the consequences as climate change, famines and lack of water.
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
Save water, reduce overcomsuption, walk instead of drive whenever is possible
Maryellen Flynn
Private Citizen, Australia
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
the love and the respect that you get from animals is priceless.
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
no i did not have a favourite great outdoors place , now i just enjoy sitting on my front verandah enjoying the sun.
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
my brother has a six month old Shitszu ( i think that this how you spell it) and my neighbour has a beautiful Moodle dog( mixture of french poodle plus other)
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, how to stop global warming.
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
protect our natural resources and just do everything that you can to respect the environment.
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
the love and the respect that you get from animals is priceless.
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
no i did not have a favourite great outdoors place , now i just enjoy sitting on my front verandah enjoying the sun.
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
my brother has a six month old Shitszu ( i think that this how you spell it) and my neighbour has a beautiful Moodle dog( mixture of french poodle plus other)
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, how to stop global warming.
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
protect our natural resources and just do everything that you can to respect the environment.
Michele Windsor
Area Wildlife Biologist - WI Department of Natural Resources
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
Too many to count. Probably working with Moose in NW Montana and coming face to face with grizzlies and black bears while working on the project.
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
Yes. The boundary waters as a kid and the Minnesota River Wildlife Refuge (Black Dog) which was very close to my house in suburban, MN and where I took the dogs for a walk.
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
cougars. The sleekness, secretive nature, beauty of the animal has always intrigued me. Bats are a close second.
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?
Cheap energy consumption. When economic times are tight people aren't willing to spend more and are more apt to open up drilling in wildlife refuges, etc. Also tough economic times folks are less willing to invest in natural resource conservation.
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
The old adage, invest in real estate because they aren't making anymore of it. Buy land to minimize developments.
Jul 23, 2009
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
Too many to count. Probably working with Moose in NW Montana and coming face to face with grizzlies and black bears while working on the project.
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood? How about now??
Yes. The boundary waters as a kid and the Minnesota River Wildlife Refuge (Black Dog) which was very close to my house in suburban, MN and where I took the dogs for a walk.
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?
cougars. The sleekness, secretive nature, beauty of the animal has always intrigued me. Bats are a close second.
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?
Cheap energy consumption. When economic times are tight people aren't willing to spend more and are more apt to open up drilling in wildlife refuges, etc. Also tough economic times folks are less willing to invest in natural resource conservation.
5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
The old adage, invest in real estate because they aren't making anymore of it. Buy land to minimize developments.
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