Buddy Johnson - Lexington, VA
I developed a love of the outdoors when I was a boy and would go fishing with my dad. It helped me appreciate the simple things in life.

My dad would tell me "all you have to do is watch and listen" and the world of nature is there for you. As I got older the desire never faded. I went to college close to Shenandoah National Park and spent a great deal of time camping and hiking in the park. Six years ago I completed the Appalachian Trail and consider the memories of that hike as something I will never forget.

Mary White - VA
I have been establishing perennial gardens for about five years and every year I get beautiful "volunteers" (things I didn't personally plant) in just the right places. 

In one of my gardens I have a sculpture of a little girl holding a basket of puppies. I didn't bring her inside last winter so she was established already this spring. Directly in front of her sprouted one white tulip that lasted well beyond its expected bloom time. There are many things that get me excited about nature but my "volunteers" hit me right at home, reminding me that God is watching and I am not in charge.

Pat Churchman - Augusta County, VA
I’ve cared about the environment since I was at the beach with my family and DDT trucks sprayed their killing mist over the campground. We didn't know then just how lethal that was not only to the mosquitoes, but to us.

Then I read Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" (1962), and have been living in growing concern for the environment ever since. I am deeply grateful for The Nature Conservancy and for all the people who so generously support it. Saving our last remaining wild places is crucial to our survival.  

Laurie Eytel - Ashburn, VA
My parents instilled in me a love for our natural world. I became a Fish and Wildlife Technician because I loved animals and working outside in nature. It led to my being a park naturalist in Canada and the U.S. because I also saw most people’s lack of environmental awareness.

Personally, I’ve also worked on trying to become less-consumer oriented, including recycling, etc. as new options become available. Without a healthy environment, nothing else matters. We’ll surpass the earth’s carrying capacity sooner.
 

I teach that we are part of nature, not separate from it. I try and instill that concept in the wide range of programs I lead. I fear for our computer/indoor-oriented children, who don’t go out and play as much and thus don’t develop some level of connection with the earth. I want to instill wise stewardship for this earth that we all share.

Derek Rodgers - Towson, MD
It's easy to forget about the quiet places.  They don't make a stir.  They don't ring or vibrate or screech. 

My father's land, resting on the Corrotoman River at Drum Point, Virginia, is such a place.  When I can manage to escape there for a day or two, I bring my noisy contraptions along, but always end up lying on my back, relishing silence.  A pileated woodpecker might occasionally battle the osprey for audioking of the shallow cove I chill my feet in, but the sounds of jumping fish, of snapping turtles crawling in the muck, these things welcome me, rather than alarm or inform me.  Becoming an environmentalist was easy for me, because I've always had this spot to dream about as the TV talks me to sleep.   
 

Christina Most - Baldwin, MD
My inspiration: As a child I became increasingly aware of the disappearing natural landscape where I grew up.

My sister and I spent most of our time playing in the woods. I began to notice the disappearance of specific species and patches of natural vegetation. As I grew older, I learned that developers acquired parcels of land and did little to no reforestation because the law is not stringent enough. Because of this common practice, forest fragmentation, and agricultural use of pesticides, the habitats around me are lessening. The more time I spend on this earth, the more I know that we need to lessen human impact on ecosystems.

Lori A. Crockett - Petersburg, VA
When I was little there was a log cabin across the street that people said a hermit lived in. I have never forgotten the mystery --- the wildness of the place, the rampant growth of trees and flowers, the unspoiled nature of it all. I have wanted to live like that ever since.

Another influence was my great aunt who took me and my sisters to parks often when we were growing up. I loved to be among the trees and sunshine and nature. And then there is my mother. She has always had gardens full of flowers and birds. Gardens are where I have been happiest always. When I moved into the home I live in now, I started taking over the yard piece by piece, eliminating the grass and putting in ponds, raised beds and rose gardens. I built an arbor out of old chimney blocks and have roses and pink honeysuckle climbing over it. My yard is a Certified Wildlife Habitat and I am so proud of it. I love the outdoors and everything about it. What more can I say?

Virginia Werkmeister  I wish I knew what has made me an environmentalist... if I am one.  I'm not sure I completely fit that label.  I just know that I have a great love of animals and see them as unspoiled, innocent beings on this planet where people who are supposed to care for them seem, instead, to just make life miserable for them.  Animals are on this planet as part of a food chain which means they are accessible to humans as a food source, beasts of burden, and etc.  But this in no way should include cruelty or abusive treatment.  It certainly should not include ruining their habitats, causing misery and extinction.  Nature Conservancy is the only conservation organization that I support, because they do try to work closely with people who depend on the areas they conserve.

The opinions expressed in "Your Story" are the author's. They should not be construed as the position of The Nature Conservancy.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © David Dadurka/TNC (Choptank Wetlands); Photo © Christina Most (Autumn trees); Photo © Buddy Johnson (Appalachian Trail at Bluff Mountain); Photo © Mary White (Mary's garden sculpture); Photo © Pat Churchman (Augusta County, VA in the Shenandoah Valley); Photo © Laurie Eytel (Ashburn, VA); Photo © Derek Rodgers (Drum Point, Maryland); Photo © Christina Most (Sunset); Photo © Lori A. Crockett (Lori's garden and cat); Photo © David Dadurka/TNC (Nassawango Creek, Maryland).