Newsletter

<div class="ck-content"><h4>The sin of extinction, and invasives</h4>Last night, I had an insight into why I am so obsessed, driven, to remove invasives.I am not religious, in the sense that I am agnostic (maybe even a "militant agnostic": I don't know if God exists and neither do you 🙂 ), a materialist and evolutionist. I revel in the world and its life, as it has evolved over billions of years, and as it presents itself to me. I don't feel any need to believe in a supernatural force.But I do believe in right and wrong. I believe in the concept and definition of sin (which I define as a violation of the laws of nature, not a god's laws).And I believe that the greatest sin of all is to cause the extinction of another entire species. Any species with individuals alive today has evolved over billions of years, just like us. They are just as intelligent as they need to be, just like us.That they could disappear from the web of life forever, just so humans can satisfy our addictions to comfort, convenience and entertainment...almost too horrible to think about.I'm sorry to sound so depressing and I promise to bring this around to a very positive message, but I think we have to accept that in our lifetimes, elephants will likely go extinct in the wild. Along with thousands of other species.And we humans will have caused this to happen. Most of the extinctions (which are already happening) are due to direct human action, such as the clearing of a large area of the rainforest, dense with unique species of life. Others are indirect. Invasive species is a prime example of indirect human-caused extinctions.Because that's what invasive species do: they drive native species to extinction as they expand through the ecosystem without competition or predation.I don't know about you, but whenever I read about a species we drove to extinction, I feel rage, sorrow, frustration bubbling around inside me. I want to hit something. But most of all, I want to do something effective to stop extinctions, something besides making a donation.What I can do is remove invasives in my local ecosystems. I can take direct action, here and now, to stop extinctions in my own "back yard."If I was religious, I would say I feel blessed to have this opportunity. To redeem myself for all the killing I have benefited from in the past (and still do). Since I am not religious, I will say this:I no longer wonder what my purpose is in life, why I am here. I know. It is to do my part to stop human-caused extinctions.And it's something so many of us, of you, can do - and are doing. Thank you for joining me in this journey.<h4>And now for something completely different (that is, a break from rantings by Steven)</h4>I offer you "Ain't it great to be outside"?", lyrics to be sung to the tune of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it2yqwhvDcI">Raffi's Ain't it great to be crazy?</a>Boom boom Ain't it great to be outside! Boom boom Ain't it great to be outside! Feeling the sun and the wind and the rain Boom boom Ain't it great to be outside!Taking a walk or going for a swim, watching a butterfly swerve on a whim, Two rabbits leap A snake slithers by There's a whole world out here and it ain't inside....Boom boom Ain't it great to be outside! Boom boom Ain't it great to be outside! The sun and the wind and the rain on my face Boom boom Ain't it great to be outside!Eli, Eli, he loves trees. Home to gazillions amongst the leaves. They live so long, they grow so tall, The world would turn to desert if they were to fall.Boom boom Ain't it great to be outside! Boom boom Ain't it great to be outside! The sun and the wind and the rain on your face Boom boom Ain't it great to be outside! Boom boom Outside's better than inside!If you have young children or grandchildren or nieces or nephews, you will be doing them a great service by introducing them to (and singing along with) the music of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raffi">Raffi</a>.<h4>The youth shall save us (well, mostly save themselves)</h4>Without a doubt, my favorite tree rescues are those I do with UNC students from Alpha Phi Omega and Epsilon Eta, two service groups with a bunch of members who very much want to save our planet. This past Saturday, Ep Eta members showed up on an incredible 80 degree sunny Sunday to remove dense privet next to the boardwalk between Indian Springs Rd and the main Battle Branch Trail. They started there last year and the impact has been incredible!<div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=1HWB5tJJPTmMrhEJA-u7rNiU8u0mVZMt5" alt="Epsilon Eta takes down privet" width="600" height="400"></div></div>