“Respect”

I think I’ve always appreciated nature, but never realized the impact that I’ve had on it. I started to realize it after first visiting Muir Woods National Monument and Yosemite National Park in late 2007. Having been to six National Parks since then, I have grown to appreciate how precious and fragile our small earth home is and made many changes to reduce my footprint.

So after hearing about the vandals that caused Old Faithful Geyser to become less regular, and witnessing teens poke and throw things in the thermal pools at Yellowstone (yes, I made them stop), it is no accident then today that I show my respect to someone who, 140 years ago recognized similar and reported to the Committee of Public Lands, “the vandals who are now waiting to enter into this wonder-land, will in a single season despoil, beyond recovery, these remarkable curiosities, which have requited all the cunning skill of nature thousands of years to prepare”, Ferdinand Hayden.

Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
May 31, 2009
In celebration of National Parks week, and Earth Day

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