Chief Seattle believed “Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the children of the Earth. Man did not weave the web of life – he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.” With Spring repeating the ancient pulse of life’s resurrection, it is a good time to take stock and reflect on the condition of our planetary nest and our place in it. Are we living in balance? What can we do to better engender global stewardship and sustainability of life’s often fragile web? Perhaps it is time to renew our vows to ourselves and to the Earth.

Bob Bultman is a consulting naturalist and educator of ecology. He specializes in helping landowners restore and steward the bountiful plant and animal diversity of our verdant Peninsula. He has initiated the not-for-profit Forest Recovery Project to engage the community more fully in this effort of stewardship.