We no longer have the luxury of leaving conservation of species merely in the hands of government agencies. The problem is simply bigger than governments. All of us must somehow engage with the problem. But before we can react in meaningful ways we must be guided as to what the problems are and how we can best assist in alleviating these. But there is a snag. We need nothing less than people, in their millions, engaging, with affection, in conserving species. A few thousand committed people here or there will have no sustaining effect. So what to do?

We need to harness the organisations of the great religions in the world, and specifically in the USA, that they will rise to the challenge of getting involved in programmes of nature conservation. The wonderful thing in this regard that religious groups have is a structure and the ability to talk from their altars to millions of their followers. This facility could be used to great effect if church leaders would agree to allow their ministers to talk from their altars on conservation issues. Given the magnificence and the mystery of creation it seems an acceptable and wholesome thing to use the houses of God in this manner. And nature needs help from whatever source it can draw upon.

What I am proposing is that on May 21, USA Endangered Species Day, that those in religious authority in the USA discuss this idea among themselves and make a pronouncement on that day that from then on they will set aside one day a year as a nature conservation day. On such a day their pastors or ministers will talk to their flocks on how best each member of their congregation can be a catelist for good in conserving species.

This idea will cost nothing (rare among ideas nowadays). It only requires good men and good women in the major faiths to discuss this idea and agree to act upon it. Do that and this, the fifth year of USA Endangered Species Day, will be judged as having been a great occasion for the conservation of species.

Please think about this.

Fond regards

Patrick