This blog began as a project for a class I took in forest ecosystem management, but it's evolved into much more than that.
I've been a writer and a dreamer my entire life. What this really means is that I have an insatiable curiosity to observe and know things. When I was growing up, I watched as my peers slowly lost this same curiosity fade as their wonder with the world in general faded. As adults, we get hung up on our jobs and social relationships - and we sometimes forget that we live in a crazy, wonderful world that we affect every single moment of the day.
So I started this blog as a way to highlight issues in ecosystem management. It's something that people outside of the world of ecology don't often think about, but it's also something that affects everyone on the planet. And I got to thinking: the real problem here isn't that people simply aren't informed about issues scientists find important, it's that scientists and laypeople don't speak the same language. We relate to each other even less than Republicans and Democrats! There are too many children out there who start out thinking dinosaurs are cool and wondering what the names of the clouds are... and they end up disillusioned with their science classes and distracted by all the little things that seem so much more important than learning how our world really works.
But I think science should be exciting. Dinosaurs are cool. And the names of the clouds are beautiful. We all live here together. If we don't collectively understand the value of our world, we risk losing it. I want to do my part to bring back that childlike sense of amazement - as well as provide real information about real issues scientists and politicians deal with every day.
Because we all live here.
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| Lookout spot over Skilak Lake on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. |
On this blog you will find:
- current and past news stories about scientific research
- a spotlight on the issue of invasive species
- videos about fascinating phenomena in nature
- explanation and discussion of commonly misunderstood scientific issues
Anything else you'd like to see on the blog? Want to have a further discussion? Drop me a line at RAEALITY@GMAIL.COM.