A Moral Case for Conservation

Conservation is a moral obligation. Just as some individuals see the ten commandments as their moral compass, I perhaps see eleven. I remember as a child being a preservationist. Fighting for an ant’s life as a playmate stomped on an ant hill; begging my father not to fish for the fish’s sake; sobbing as friend’s brought home birds in cages; trips to pet stores were heart wrenching. I firmly believed that all of nature ought to be left in peace, far away from human disturbance. While this utopian idea has remained with me through the years, my moral philosophy has subsequently been shaped by a variety of individuals, experience and readings into a more complex one that is driven by natural processes. An innate interest initiated this path at a point in time I can not recall. I can not pin point a specific experience in which I had an epiphany of sorts, rather a steady interest that once cultivated allowed me to make the decision to follow in a path of environmental conservation.
Growing up in Washington D.C. suburbs, wild and unadulterated forests/mountains/rivers/streams were neither readily accessible or known to me. This is not the ideal environment for a budding amateur biologist. Not only was I removed from the natural world but I also did not have the pleasure of seeking it out. Most of my childhood was spent inside hospital walls. As such, I relied heavily upon my father’s stories for escape. My father who spent a lifetime backpacking and camping throughout the Western United States relayed his childhood stories to me as I sat a prisoner each day. These stories, alone, drove my desire to study biology in particular ecology and botany. While he spoke of the natural world, I imagined it. I studied hoping to take away a sliver of those stories.

Part way through my studies as an undergraduate I found myself once more clinging to life. Frustrated by my inability to experience the natural world, my father gave me a book entitled Naturalist by Edward Wilson. This reading, in particular, altered the path I was to take going forward with my studies. Wilson, who injured the pupil of his right eye and later lost hearing in his teens was ultimately limited in what he could do with his passion for the natural world. Not being able to hear or see many critters he directed his attention to insects and with the aid of a microscope turned into a renowned entomologist. Like Wilson, I too would be limited but not confined. After reading this particular book, I continued on with my studies in Biology hoping to find my own niche.

In my early twenties, I kept up with the ever-changing science of conservation. I continued reading Wilson’s books and I joined the Nature Conservancy. It was The Nature Conservancy and Wilson’s readings that have since contributed to my conservation philosophy more so than traditional studying. I am still impressed by the Conservancy’s ability to lead by example and look for other individuals and conservation practices that do the same. Now, in my late twenties, I believe that we are bound to the natural world and have a duty to conserve it. I believe in the active management of natural processes as essential to protecting all biotic life. I understand the importance in asking questions at an organizational level and rely on organizations to accomplish things that can not be done at an individual level.

My conservation philosophy continues to be altered, shaped by emerging science and continued studying. It is a philosophy that will continually evolve as it’s roots are planted in science. Over time, the philosophy I carry might change but the moral fiber with which I live my life will remain steady as it is my fuel for hope and betterment for the planet.