Sierra Club: Family-based conservation
- wallacejnichols
- Aug. 16, 2005
Our daughter Grayce is three years old. Yet she understands nature in a way I only came to at ten times her age. This simple observation gives me hope.
Standing in the meadow, she points out the gophers and jays. We water the apricot tree, and she tells me we need only use just the right amount of water, since the fish in the creek need it too. From the ridge trail we can see the ocean, where the creek goes, she explains. We keep the creek and ocean clean, so the animals don't get sick.
We are fortunate to live on the central coast of California. Thousands of people have fought for the protection of these coastlands so that we, and the wildlife, can enjoy it in this way. I'll add my years of service to that legacy. But I know that the gift that I have to give is in raising two strong, nature-loving daughters.
Grayce is falling in love with nature. Her baby sister, Julia, will too. In love with the steelhead, the redwoods, the apricots, the clean air, the sand, and the waves. And understanding is the foundation of love.
Published on SierraClub.org
