My mother early on taught us to respect all animals, and I mean all animals - not just cats and dogs but rats and snakes and spiders and fish and wildlife, so I really grew up believing they are just like us and just as deserving of consideration.
Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man.
I feel like I'm nothing without wildlife. They are the stars. I feel awkward without them.
It's fun to think about plants not just as decorations but as functioning parts of our yard's ecosystem that attract wildlife to the garden. We have hummingbirds, tons of bees, and many monarch butterflies. The kids love it! Though we're very laissez-faire with the garden and never put chemicals on it or even water it much!
We have been far too aggressive about extracting ocean wildlife, not appreciating that there are limits and even points of no return.