Day One

Today was great. I got up at six and went fishing, didn't catch anything but that was fine. I heard loons at 6:30 from across the lake and thought of the woman working track the amount mercury that the birds are ingesting. It was a sad to think that the wildlife in this area is such danger of being destroyed.

Thinking about the impact that people have had on the Earth, much of well intended, for example people coming here in the 1800's to experience its beauty. Most had no intention of making a negative impact o the area, but there were many indirect and direct effects on the region. In a way it makes me feel guilty for driving up here and walking on the trails that would clearly be completely covered in moss and other plant life if I didn't walk all over them, with thousands of others.

On the other hand, coming here, understanding some of the history, reading about the area and meeting very well informed locals (Ed K.) I feel that it is important to see places like this. If someone has never experienced a place like I would think that it would be hard to convince them to become actively involved in protecting it or even to make some lifestyle changes to help.

People NEED to get to places like this and experience them, not just look at pictures of it or watch it on the nature channel. The connections made from actual experiences is what motivates people to do the right thing...even before money!!

I have brought my family here before and plan on doing it again. Each trip made will make it more clear (at least tot me) why and what there is on this planet worth saving, aside from humans.

The way I see it, by saving places like the Adirondacks, we ARE saving ourselves. After all we are all connected on this planet (some of us more so to the loon than others!)