My Personal Values for Nature Conservation

Man is part of Nature, nothing more and nothing less.
 
Nature conservation should primarily be concerned with addressing that relationship(centralising man + nature and nature + man)
 
All living things are sentient beings that are part of God, and are consequently of infinite significance
 
The inanimate (abiotic) world is the context withing which all living things exists
 
I believe, but cannot prove or even demonstrate, that all livng things are spiritually aware, though this awareness may exist in dimensions which we have not yet learnt to perceive.  I feel that there is therefore something far more fundamental to existence than DNA (cf Phillip Pullman's 'dust'). I have no clear definition of 'spiritually aware'.
 
In consequence of this enormity, we should love what we can love, and should exercise compassion towards all living things that we cannot readily love.
 
We seek to justify what we do and don’t do.
 
We each have a personal purpose in life. It can be difficult to perceive, accept and fulfil this purpose, for it may clash with our desires and fears.
 
Sunshine and green leaves are fundamental to my existence. Love and beauty are what matter most…
 
I am a pilgrim in the world of Nature, with a duty to share what I discover with others. This I willingly embrace.
 
Given all of the above, I am unsure as to how much longer can I last in the increasingly bureaucratic Nature Conservation profession, unless I aim to change ‘nature conservation’ radically…
 
All of the above should be treated as being provisional, subject to revision along life’s spiritual journey.

Matthew Oates   17:1:2006