Photo of a property that has a conservation easement on it.
Blogging…it’s not something I have every really gotten into
before, but I was inspired by a few friends to share some thoughts, knowledge
and to open the discussion on the topic of environmental conservation and how
it is changing. What is the current status of environmental conservation? What
can we as a society do now to help shape conservation? What can we do to
cultivate a conservation way of thinking in younger generations? How can we
simply get kids just to get outside and experience all that the natural world has
to offer?
For me, an appreciation of nature has been part of my life
for as long as I can remember. It probably started when my brother and I were
too rambunctious indoors, and my mom would tell us to go play outside. We were
fortunate to live in a house surrounded by woods on a lot that my father was
adamant we clear ourselves before the house was put in, so we could keep as
many trees as possible. My love of
nature continued to develop as I went through school and majored in Zoology and
Environmental Studies for my Bachelor’s degree and Natural Resources and
Environmental Sciences for my Master of Science degree. All of the research
projects I was involved with since undergrad included a conservation component,
often focused on wildlife conservation. I now work at a nonprofit that
preserves and protects natural areas and historic sites. My love of and concern
for the wellbeing of our Earth is something I hope to cultivate in my son.
My intent of writing this blog is for it to serve as a starting
point for us to begin to evaluate what we can do as a society in general, and
more specifically in the conservation field, to develop a love of nature in
future generations. We will discuss current conservation issues and the ways
those issues are being addressed today. Most importantly, we will discuss how
to get future generations outdoors and to help them develop an appreciation for
nature and cultivate a concern for conservation.
Let’s get started!
Environmental conservation can mean so
many things. It can mean multiple things to one person and different things to
different people. For me, it is protecting habitat for wildlife, preserving
land for current and future generations to enjoy, beautiful places to hike and
take pictures, clean water, sustainably growing food, and clean air. For some
people, it may mean protecting places for recreational enjoyment, preventing
developments from popping up everywhere, protecting land to increase property
values, a plot of land to hunt on, and much more.
