Earth Day 2009

Tomorrow we celebrate Earth Day. For me this is a day of reflection on how I am doing in being a "wise steward"(D&C 104:13-15) of our planet. I have always felt strong emotions towards conservation. My outlook towards the importance of preservation and use of our natural resources in relation to human life has evolved. However, I still feel a swelling inside of me of despair when I really reflect on how we live and how we treat our planet. Jane Goodall wrote a book called Reason for Hope where she talked about her 50+ years of experience and how she has seen the ecosystems change through the years. She teaches that through all the problems we cannot give up hope because that is what spurs us to action. So for me I reflect on what I am doing to protect our resources. I know I can do better. I hope that you see small ways you can change too. Because together change does happen.

So here is a reason to hope, I recently was reading about species rehabilitation. There is a famous case that is going on here in CO which is considered to be one of the greatest successes of saving a species from extinction. In Northern CO on the Wyoming border black footed ferrets where once very prevalent. However, about 15 years ago they were considered to be extinct in this area. One day a dog showed up at a rancher's house with a ferret in his mouth. This rancher reported it to the state and soon a population of about 10 (it might be more I am not sure) ferrets were found. The state and Department of Fish and Wildlife took action and began to breed these ferrets. Today there is a facility that successfully reintroduces ferrets into their natural habitat and the population is strong and stable. Luckily there is still land for the ferrets to be reintroduced to because habitat loss for various reasons is the biggest problem. Now the biologist inside of me knows that species go extinct everyday and sometimes it is OK. Really what the Endangered Species Act etc is set forth to do is to protect ecosystems and not individual species. However, this is still a great success story that we can celebrate.

Happy Earth Day everyone! I am grateful for nature and creation. It gives me perspective and understanding.

Yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth and all things that are upon the face of it...Alma 30:44