As years go by, we, the people of a beautiful state in a beautiful country must realize that the environment is suffering from our human progress in which we fail to create a boundary between us and wildlife, the creatures that were on this planet long before us. For those of you who have already realized the problems that humans have created and are trying to prevent further deterioration of our planet by recycling, carpooling, and avoiding the use of harmful chemicals, I congratulate you. However the only way to fully accomplish this is to educate a nation. Not one, not 10, not even 1,000 people, but every single person must do their part or else where we love to fish, water ski, and even hike will be gone forever.

I have not always been a believer of this. When I was in elementary school, a man from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office came to talk to my class about the environmental issues facing the world today. He brought a baby alligator along with numerous snakes and other critters to give us a "hands on" learning experience. I think this was very effective and from then on I began to think about the future of these creatures. Later on, I went to a camp at the Tallahassee Museum of Science and Natural History and learned even more about the environment. We went on trips to places all around north Florida and I was exposed to new and exciting things I'd never dreamed of (fossils, swamps, plants, and animals). This again had a "hands on" theme tied into it and there wasn't a dull moment, which probably helped spark my enthusiasm about the environment. I began to recycle, and conserve water and electricity. I also got into photography as a way of sharing and educating the world about the beauty of nature.

Likewise, the population of youth in the United States can be educated through programs such as the ones I was introduced to. They worked for me and there's not a doubt in my mind they would work for others as well. I asked Alana Taylor, a freshman at Rickards High School in Tallahassee, Florida, if her thoughts on the environment were from an educational program, and she answered, "I didn't know we had them (educational programs)". Obviously not everyone is being exposed to the issues surrounding the world in terms of the environment, and are sometimes not caring at all about its future. That is why more educational programs should be developed. Also, more nature centers should be constructed and a bigger part of the school curriculum should focus on the environment.

According to Doug Alderson, associate editor of Florida Wildlife, "information not only filters down, it filters up." Such cases happened to the Legislature. When Doug lobbied for environmental causes, the legislators were more receptive of the lobbyist's message because their children, who were being taught in school, were influencing them. Education becomes a circle in which the old and young get involved. Cain Norris, also a freshman at Rickards High School, says, "I think we should preserve the environment, but not at the cost of human progress." I agree with this, but the fact is, human progress can continue without the disruption of the environment. If people that oppose the environment because they fear human progress would be halted, learn this - a large portion of the opposition will be knocked out. That is why it is important to educate the whole nation, not just one or two social groups. Total conservation can't be achieved through education alone. Taking action is also necessary. One way to take action is to stop huge land development corporations that see long leaf pine forests as places to build resorts. These corporations clear the land, and then sell it to un-educated people who then proceed to destroy the land with chemicals and other harmful contaminants in order to create a nice looking lawn. So stop the corporations, and you stop the destruction chain.

Another way to take action is to STOP WAR! War not only kills people, it also destroys the land and kills the animals. This episode has been played over and over again. For example 20 years after the Vietnam War, elephants were still stepping on land mines and if not killing themselves, then wounding themselves for life. It's just a sad story that happens all over the world. And it can come to an end if war is thwarted.

It seems like everything is tied together. War, conservation, environment, and people. They usually create a chain that can be positive or negative. Through education, however, this chain can be on the positive side. Therefore, educating a nation is vital and it is the ONLY way.

Editor's Comment: Let us know what you think! Please email the Editor to let us know your thoughts. ~Michael

Nikolai Korepanov was born in Novosibirsk, Russia. He and his family moved to the United States in 1994. His interest in photography started when he took part in a photography camp in 6th grade. His passion has grown with every year. Nick is presently using an older Pentax system with 7 lenses, including a 400mm 5.6 lens. He plans to upgrade to a Canon system in the next year. Nick was the youngest member on PhotoMigrations for a long time - he is 14 years old! Please take some time and visit Nick's website: Nikolai Korepanov Photography