The Passing Wisdom of Birds

What we stand to lose when nature is debased: "We stand to lose the focus of our ideals. We stand to lose our sense of dignity, of compassion, even our sense of what we call God. The philosophy of nature we set aside 8,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, we can, I think, locate again and greatly refine in North America. the New World is a landscape still overwhelming in the vigor of its animals and plants, resonant with mystery. It encourages, still, an enlightened response toward indigenous culturese that differ from our own, whether Aztecan, Lakotan, lupine, avian, or invertebrate. By broadening our sense of the intrinsic worth of life and by cultivating respect for other ways of moving toward perfection, we may find the sense of resolution we have been looking for, I think, for centuries." -- Barry Lopez