My family ran a small dairy farm in Minnesota's prairie pothole country. The fields I knew as a child were dotted with isolated wetlands and bordered by wooded fence lines. Whenever I could, I roamed the countryside from pothole to fence line to woods in search of adventure. I built forts, trails, and campfires, and discovered blackbirds, meadowlarks, ducks, foxes, snakes, gophers, bugs, deer, and yes, adventure.

One day, when I was about 11 years old, I was working the cattle in the yard. Suddenly a long ribbon of big white birds appeared in the sky from the north, circling overhead, then landing in a freshly plowed field behind the barn. Silhouetted against the stark landscape, they were the most spectacular creatures I had ever seen. And there were so many of them.

After a few minutes, something spooked them and they rose back up to the sky, eventually disappearing into the southern horizon, leaving me to wonder: what were they? Where did they come from? Where were they going? Why did they stop here? Why now?

I had seen a migration of snow geese - and a lifetime of curiosity about nature had begun. For the first time, I sensed that my own little piece of earth was part of a much larger world; that, through the birds that graced us with their seasonal presence, all of us were connected as a thread in a larger tapestry. Something changed in me, something that created a bond with nature that has lasted to this day. "Nature" was no longer just an intellectual concept. It had become personal.

Transforming experiences like this are common among people who love nature. I call them Wow! experiences; exhilarating moments that leave you speechless. There is one essential element common to all of the many Wow! experiences I've heard people talk about: They don't take place in front of a television, video game, or computer screen - or even in a classroom. They happen out of doors, face to face with the real world, in the presence of birds and wildlife, amid the glorious unpredictability and spontaneity of nature.

Each of us is made up of the same particles as the rest of this earth. There is something inside of us that longs to be connected back to nature. As a conservationist, I believe that I am a better person if I spend time outdoors enjoying nature. It is an essential part of my spiritual diet. And like other human instincts we don't fully understand, I believe this longing is connected to our survival.

That's why, for many people, enjoying nature leads them to want to learn more about it, and then to do something to protect it. I frequently ask people who are involved in conservation what got them hooked - what motivated them to become involved. The answer I hear most often points to direct experiences outdoors that created a personal bond with nature. It might have been summer camping trips with the family, biking, fishing, or just growing up in a rural area and roaming. They are emotional experiences, not intellectual experiences. Providing the opportunity for such experiences in nature is critical to inspiring people to value the natural world - and to protect it.

Conservationists tend to think big. We are drawn to great, expansive eco-systems. Places like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Everglades get our attention.

This is good, but there's another scale of conservation that's just as important to remember. Often, we need look no further than our homes, backyards and communities.

Whether you set up a feeder and watch birds, or putter around the garden, or go for a walk in a local park, you're connecting with nature. We participate in these activities in staggering numbers. Gardening is one of the most popular outdoor activities. More than 70 million of us are birdwatching, up from only 18 million nearly 20 years ago, making birding the single fastest growing outdoor recreation.

We do it because it's fun, but such things as gardening or feeding birds are simple ways each of us can start doing our part to save the planet, to give something back. There is much more we can all do, from participating in a local Christmas Bird Count to helping to protect local open space. You can begin right at home and in your yard, by planting less grass and more native species, using energy efficient appliances, buying certified wood, or even installing solar panels. Consider serving organic food or driving a hybrid car.

When you do these things, you're not just enjoying nature: you're also giving something back to it, helping protect it in a simple and direct way. Taken together, the actions by each of us in our own small, personal way means healthier habitats for people and animals.

The greatest untapped force for conservation is people like you and me, acting together, in the personal choices we make every day at home, at work, and on vacation.

Most people want to do the right thing for the environment, if only they knew what to do. The answers need not be complicated, or even difficult. First, get out and enjoy nature. Experience it. Have fun. Then, learn more about it. Find a few simple ways you can do your part. Read books like this one. Check out the Audubon web site, and the sites of many other organizations and agencies that make consumer information available. Then, act. Do your part.

It's our planet. Only we can save it.

John Flicker, President
National Audubon Society