12/1/2025 “The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: ‘What good is it?”—Aldo Leopold Follow the link to the Aldo Leopold Foundation based on his land ethic. *KB thoughts; if this resonates with you, a must-read is Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac. If the word “ETHICS” caused an internal panic for you, as it did for me in college, then you know the feeling. For me, this happened later in life, in my 40s, during my Environmental Ethics class. The PhD professor would assume a bearded version of the thinker pose, while his gaze anticipated a clever response to “What did the assigned reading mean?” WHAT DID I finally learn? ETHICS is simply what you believe is RIGHT or WRONG. Easy right? Now consider do you have a right to clean air or water? Who is responsible? Who defines clean?

11/24/2025 “One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, “What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew i would never see it again?”— Rachel Carson. This link takes you to the Silent Spring Institute. *KB thoughts; Any feminist, marine biologist, Earth Day supporter or bird lover should definitely read Carson’s Silent Spring. another personal favorite is The Sense of Wonder.

11/18/2025 “To be whole. To be complete. Wildness reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from.”– Terry Tempest Williams. If her quote appeals to you a must read is Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place (1991). *KB thoughts; This book inspired my journey to embrace the biodiversity of my East Tennessee home in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. My family visited the Great Smoky Mountain National Park at a minimum three times a year, for the glory of spring wildflowers, the summer discovery in a cold mountain stream, and the grander of fall colors in Cades Cove.

11/10/2025 “A true conservative is a man that knows that the world is not given by his Fathers but borrowed from his children.“— John James Audubon. His paintings and description of 435 birds in The Birds of America set the standard for future bird guides. *KB thoughts; While a very gifted painter and naturalist, his character was deplorable. He was able to capture the bird details so accurately because he harvested samples. Modern day Audubon Society started many years after his death to celebrate the contribution to wildlife art and natural history. Ethics question – Does Audubon’s personal history defecate on his contribution to science?

11/3/2025 In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.”— John Muir. *KB thoughts; Yes he started the Sierra Club, was instrumental in the forming of National Parks, and also saw first hand the devastation of the logging industry. He worked in sawmills in Ontario, Florida and Yosemite Valley in the mid 1860. I love how nature immersion enlightened him and turned him into a conservation advocate.