(If this is still here I forgot a title)

The most magical non-human adventure I've had took place in a National Park (probably Yellowstone, but I cannot say for sure). I was about seven or eight, and my family was following a tourist path to go see some caverns. But my brother and I, being the adventurous kids that we were, wandered off the beaten path into the "wild" part of the area.

In reality, I doubt we went very far. As far as I can remember, my parents didn't even scold us when we joined up with them again. Since I was fairly young, most of my memory of that experience is blurred, but interspersed are clear-cut images of being surrounded by trees and green and dew and freshness. At that time I simply was able to enjoy being surrounded by trees, dirt, fungi, rocks, and undergrowth--and that was all the mysticism I've ever needed. The experience was more brief than later treks through wilderness that I've taken, but in remembering that time I can relate to David Orr's belief that "experience in the natural world is ... an essential part of understanding the environment."

I was born and raised in San Diego, and can probably be considered a "city kid" through and through, but unlike some city kids, my family has ensured that I have had numerous changes to gain experience in the natural world, and I loved it.

In my opinion, saving nature is most definitely something we should be concerned with. Nature is not only of aesthetic value, but is also the basis of our existence and continuing livelihood. It's true that we can replace a lot of things with artificial substitutes, but it's impossible to replace the spontaneity of nature.

When in class we discussed the idea of reversing our current perception of the world and relinquishing our grasp on the land, air, and sea back into the care of natural progression and limiting ourselves to ecological villages I experienced a feeling of nostalgia. Envisioning that sort of world reminded me of the joyous excitement I felt running through the greenery off the beaten path in Yellowstone Park, and that is something I want for the future of humanity. Realistically, there is no doubt that such a development could occur anytime soon without a drastic catalyst. But, in the future, if we (mankind as a whole) can continue realize our mistakes in regards to our treatment of the environment and act to rectify them, I feel that such an side-by-side unintrusive living arrangement can be possible.