The Hart and Crescent Award: Humanity and Nature

1. Humanity and Nature

Discuss humanity's relationship to Nature, and our responsibilities to the biosphere of Earth.

We are part of Nature, sisters and brothers to all living things. Together, with the planet and Her seas and atmosphere, we make up Gaia, the living Earth.

The lives of all creatures are connected, so that whatever happens to any of us affects all of us. We must keep our environment clean and healthy, so that other species besides humanity can flourish on the Earth. This is not only the respectful and caring way to live; it is also necessary for our survival.

Plan and carry out projects which will help accomplish each of the following three goals.

A. Preserve a threatened wildlife habitat, or restore one which has been polluted or otherwise disrupted.

All of us have seen places covered with trash, or with polluted streams, or where the ground is bare and the soil is washing away. All too often, when people build roads, dig mines, or farm the land, they wind up destroying the homes of countless wild creatures.

You can help. Find a piece of land which needs to be protected or restored, then make a plan. Will you need to haul out trash, or plant ground cover to stop erosion, or talk to people who are polluting the water?

Then find out who owns the land, if you don't know. Usually you can find out by calling the County Registrar of Deeds or Assessor, listed under "Government -- County" in the Yellow Pages. You will need to contact the owner, discuss the problem, and work with him or her to fix things up.

Of course, you don't have to work on private land. Often local, county, state, or national parks or public forests have habitats that could use your energy. Contact the local Parks and Recreation Department, or the chief ranger, and ask.

And if you need more hands to do the job, call on your scout troop or coven to pitch in. You may be leading this project, but you don't have to do it all alone.

B. Defend an endangered species of wildlife.

To find out which kinds of wildlife are in danger of dying out, you can contact the International Wildlife Federation, the Audubon Society, the United States Department of the Interior, or your state Wildlife Management Bureau.

Ask them for ideas for how you can help. Possibly the best way will be to create or improve a habitat, as discussed above. Maybe a law should be passed to protect certain animals, and you can write to your representatives in Congress or your state legislature. Maybe you can make some birdhouses of a special kind and put them out. Or you could think of a way to raise money, and send it to the Wildlife Federation, Audubon Society, Nature Conservancy, or another group which works to protect wildlife.

Once more, don't go it alone. You can be much more effective if you ask for advice and help, and involve as many people as possible.

C. Do a project to educate people in your community about taking care of the Earth and her creatures.

Many people do not have accurate, current information about the environment, pollution, or endangered species. You can help inform them by giving a talk or handing out leaflets.

You can talk to your class at school, or several classes, or a full assembly. You could talk to a community service organization, or your scout troop, or local Cubs and Brownies, or your coven. You could get some informative flyers from an environmental organization and hand them out at a shopping mall, bank, or theater (with permission, of course). You could show a film, videotape, or slides, available from the same kind of organization or from a large library.

What topic could you use? Here are some ideas:

It might not be easy to give a talk if you are shy, especially in front of large groups or people you don't know, but it's important, and after a while it gets much easier. Remember, too, that your counselor can help you plan and find information.

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