Relationship with nature

Ever since I can remember, the wild things have called me. I am never more at home than in the arms of the waves; I am never more free than in the heart of the woods. There are many parts of me only the Earth knows; it is me and I am it.
Over the years, I have realized that the environment holds the answers to what it means to live a life in harmony. In an ecosystem, every natural thing has its place, and is kept in balance by its environment. Plants and animals develop adaptations to overcome obstacles in the way of survival; the obstacles in turn keep the species population in check. Female sea turtles come onto the beach once a year at on the night of the half moon to lay their eggs. They all lay their eggs on the same night to mimize the chance of predation of their babies upon hatching. When the hatchlings emerge, birds, caimans, large crustaceans and many other predators gather to feast on little turtles. They keep the population in check, for turtles can be live to be nearly two hundred years old.
Humans are the great exception to nature's great balancing act, and I believe that it is because we have come to the point where it does not occur to most people to try to live in harmony with the Earth. We change our environment to meet our needs, when it should in fact be the other way around.
I strive to live simply, to take the time to pick up trash, smell the flowers and taste the rain. I look for joy in the outdoors, the wind in my hair, the warmth of something alive. I try to spend my life around humans promoting the wonders nature provides ready-made. I spend my time in the wild getting lost in the heart of mountains or in the smell of a wildflower, for it is only there that I am found.