This quote came from a 1968 speech given by Baba Dioum; a conservationist and environmentalist, to the general assembly of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.   These words are as powerful and thought provoking today as they were 46 years ago.
Life is good.
Mia
“In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.”
So true!
We do need education so we can learn to love what we consider is less lovable but most important to the survival of the whole picture.
Mia and followers,
The following article and those that follow in this series may interest you. I’m also afraid that they may depress you.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2014/aug/wingedwarnings1essay
Glen, you are right on both accounts, this series interests and depresses me. Thank you for including this link. I see your work was also included in this article, it must be challenging to do these studies and get such alarming results.
Thanks Glen for your work detecting PCBs in the Great Lakes and their sediments, and this interesting link. Yes, very sad the negative impact, especially on fish-eating birds (and humans) which assaults the endocrine system with adverse results on hormones and reproduction. This concept, I learned at the link, is known as “endocrine disruptor” and I urge all to read this “Winged Warning” and please share with others.
I had to look up this thoughtful quote and found this at everything2.com: “The quote itself is derived from a 1968 speech made in New Delhi, India by the Senegalese environmentalist, Baba Dioum, to the general assembly of the International Union for Conservation of Nature . Mr. Dioum was born in Dahra, Senegal on October 15, 1937. He studied ecology at the Ecole Nationale des Eaux et Forets in Nancy, France where he received a degree in Forestry Engineering. Since that time his career has centered around environmental issues in Africa, including conservation, water and agricultural policy.”
So very true. And I wish it wasn’t. Far too many people seem to put money and possessions at the top of their list.
Incredibly insightful … incredibly powerful. Beautiful, beautiful image to emphasize the thought.
Thank you for this post. Needed now more than ever!
Thank you for this post, Mia. I think we need daily reminders about conserving nature – it’s slipping away bit by bit.
Almost half a century has passed and nothing has changed, it’s sad.
Re:Koch brothers: ….money and power,…NOW!!!…not even care for their own future generations….they are, they represent “the Hollow People”
I agree Patty. I pity their stupidity and hollow lives. Can’t understand them at all.
Yes, Mia, and you do a wonderful job of teaching and instilling the love of Nature. Thank you for all you do and say!
So do you Glen. Think of how many people you touched in your career as an ornithologist and the ones you touch with your photography. We do teach and reach.
And if our first and strongest love is for money and stuff, as a society we will conserve little of anything of lasting value!
Glen, I thought about the Koch brothers while working on this post because it is obvious that the only thing they love and understand is money.
But it isn’t too late for so many people if we reach out and teach them to love and conserve nature. If we touch one person with our love for nature it is a good thing.