W hen studying the environment and living just outside Glacier National Park in my 20s, the mantra for hikers was “take only pictures, leave only footprints.” That wilderness ethic was important wisdom we all took seriously.
Jump ahead 40 or 50 years, however, and Jason Mark, editor in chief of Sierra Magazine, points out, “On a collective level, however, this time-tested ethos doesn’t serve as well as it once did.” What does he mean?
Industrial and agricultural development has broadly changed and/or eliminated huge swaths of natural habitat. Migratory paths for wildlife have disappeared or been cut off. Per Mark, “Our industrial civilization’s environmental impacts are so sweeping that a leave-it-be policy is no longer suf_cient to safeguard nature. Ecosystems will need the helping hands of humans to thrive in this hot and chaotic century.”
This December marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. Initially signed into law by President Nixon, the Endangered Species Act is our primary law for protecting and conserving imperiled species. It’s a critical tool in preserving ecosystems and critical keystone species in particular. What are keystone species?
First, it’s important to acknowledge what’s going on with extinction; the current rate is alarmingly high. A “background rate of extinction” is the historic rate of natural extinction without human interference. Scientists estimate that the present-day extinction rate is 1,000 to 10,000 times the background extinction rate. This means that more than one in four species on Earth now faces extinction, and this could rise to 50 percent by the end of the century.
Some experts warn that Earth might be experiencing a sixth mass extinction due to human activities such as deforestation, overhunting, pollution and climate change. Mass extinctions are when over 75 percent of the world’s species are on a path to extinction, albeit over long timeframes.
Serious declines in whole populations of species are seen as an indicator that an ecosystem is breaking down. This is where keystone species come in.
Keystone species are organisms, plants, animals or otherwise, that hold an ecosystem together. They are nature’s critical element to maintaining natural balance. Without them, a dominant species will overtake others and destroy the ecosystem.
Fortunately, keystone species are now mapped out and understood for most of the world. Try googling keystone species and see what comes up. It’s fascinating.
We know restoration or preservation efforts will not be successful or sustainable without keystone involvement. Some keystone species are well-known and seen as desirable. Honeybees, as the world’s chief pollinator, are a good example. Others, like the gray wolf and grizzly bear may be seen as destructive or feared, their relevance to future generations dismissed for the bene_t of special interests.
All life is interdependent. Climate change will continue to create severe weather patterns and challenge our way of life. It’s still a beautiful world. I want the lives of my youngest grandchildren to know the natural beauty and world I’ve been blessed to experience. For them, I’m grateful for the Endangered Species Act and other efforts on the rise to help preserve and educate the world.
These holidays when families gather, think about presents or experiences that bring the joy of connection with the natural world. In Southwest Michigan we are blessed with an abundance of nature preserves, outstanding nature centers, botanical gardens and a landscape full of lakes, rivers and forests.
All are good for the mind, body and soul. Taking a hike, attending a special program or being introduced to an informational book or magazine are gifts that keeps on giving.
Lynn Kellogg is former CEO of Region IV Area Agency on Aging in Southwest Michigan. Questions on age or independence services? Call the Info-Line for Aging & Disability at 800-654-2810 or visit areaagencyonaging.org.
The Generations Column appears each weekend in The Herald-Palladium.