HUMAN INTERACTION WITH THE NATURAL WORLDTHE IMPORTANCE OF CONSERVING WHAT REMAINS AND HOW TO MANAGE IT

J.J. De Simone, Lindsay Crupper, Denzyl Janneker, Bobby Grace and Adam Bowman

Introduction

Communicate through responsiveness to nature

Exploring loss of eco and bio-diversity one way to begin the discussion

Unless otherwise noted, all photos courtesy of Adam Bowman

Presentation contents

Part I – Blog Man’s environmental interaction

Topic overview Interview with Dr. Roger Boyd (Baker University) Conclusions

Part II – Blog Man’s interaction with animals

Interview with Liz Harmon (Kansas City Zoo curator)

Importance of preserving animal life

Presentation contents continued

Part III: Podcast Man’s interaction with flora Echinacea

Part IV: Blog Ethics of man’s interaction with the

environment Ethical decisions Wolves’ reintroduction

Presentation contents continued

Parts V and VI: Webisodes Man’s interaction with Grizzly Bears Interview with Dr. Karl Brooks

Presentation conclusions Six-part series Communication implications Projected submission locations

Man’s environmental interaction: An overview

Human self-interest; lack of environmental understanding

Easy to ignore human involvement Frightening ramifications

Plants feed herbivores, herbivores feed predators Plants eliminated from equation, what happens?

Interview with Dr. Roger Boyd

Eco-diversity: Number of diverse ecosystems in world

Biodiversity: Number of species in ecosystem Loss of eco and bio diversity

Less food Loss of potential medicinal cures (cancer, AIDS

cures) Lose natural resources – impacts industry,

textiles and technology

Conclusions

Scientists: Humans changing world too quickly while not understanding ramifications

Dr. Boyd: We have scientific prowess to slow eco and biodiversity loss Government continues to decrease species

protection acts Inform senators and congressmen about

situation Problem not completely unavoidable, it’s our

job to lessen our impact of our environment

Man’s involvement with fauna Causes for animal

endangerment Loss of habitats Over-hunting Pollution Changes in the

environment

Interview with Liz Harmon

Kansas City Zoo curator Over 20 species of endangered animals

at the KC Zoo Countless unidentified animals becoming

extinct regularly

Importance of preserving animal life Ecological Commercial Recreational

Man’s interaction with flora

Interview with Kelly Kindscher, KU Professor and Kansas bio-survey researcher

Author of Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie

Ethno-botany

Echinacea

Used as a general panacea (cure-all)

1990s: Herbal medicinal boom

Europe main importer Successfully

maintaining Echinacea important – several components

Resilience of the plantPhoto courtesy of

creekhillnursery.com

Ethics of man’s interaction with the environment

Man’s ethical impact on the environment, particularly on the animal kingdom

Quest for land: Appetite for killing animals for hides and horns has led to many beings placed on endangered list

Hasn’t man interfered enough, that he ought not to attempt any form of redress?

Ethical decisions

We have no choice but to get involved, but only where species are threatened with extinction

Must learn from failed reintroductions like the wild dog and be inspired by successes like the American bison and the wolf

Wolves’ reintroduction

Wolf reintroduction: Model of how the food chain is upset

Remove it and its prey, the elk overpopulate

Elk’s diet of willow, in turn, is overeaten Cycle continues

Past failures should be lesson for the future

Man’s interaction with Grizzly Bears

Historical background Grizzly Bear population: 136 in 1975 in

Yellowstone National Park People continue to expand; at same time

try to conserve open spaces As conservation succeeds, how humans

work to manage thriving ecosystems becomes increasingly pertinent

Interview with Dr. Karl Brooks Expert on Rocky Mountain Ecosystems

and politics surrounding their management

How we interact with complex large predators; complicated with no simple answer

Debate is open to scientific and emotional interpretations; no point of view is invalid

Presentation conclusions

Six-part series from diverse perspectives, media

Point of project not to offer answers; discussion starters

Industries, technologies, textiles contingent on eco and biodiversity

If natural resources disappear, how humans are affected could be extreme

In addition to class Blog, six-part series will be submitted to planetsave.com