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Soil and Water Stewardship Week comes around just once a year,
in early May, but stewardship of the environment should be
observed year round.
 Each
and every one of us has a personal responsibility to be a good
steward of the land, water, wildlife, and other natural resources
that enhance our quality of life. The concept of habitat, which
most of us think of in terms of wildlife, should also include
human and other living things around us that make up the place
where we live. The basic elements of habitat are food, water,
and shelter.
As living creatures with an appetite for control over our
domain, humankind has a special responsibility to sustain a
healthy balance of all living elements that make up our surroundings.
It is common to think about people losing their homes and the
quality of their living environments as being something that
happens to someone else, or in some other place. That may not
always be the case. As we see sprawling growth take farmland
and open space, read about a city’s drinking water being
polluted by a chemical spill, or watch as flood wipes out neighborhoods
and towns, we are witnessing a steady loss of the habitat for
life that is needed by all people and other living things. When
an animal or plant species becomes extinct, we are all a little
less because of that loss. If that extinction occurs because
we, as humans, were careless or thoughtless, we bear that responsibility.
So what can we, as individuals, do?
Plant a tree, make your backyard more friendly for wildlife,
test your soil to make sure you put just the right amount
of fertilizer on your lawn, or put in terraces to help slow
runoff from heavy rains. Volunteer for neighborhood and
stream cleanups, report polluters and other violators, recycle
your household waste, take hazardous waste to a designated collection
site, clean up after your pet, and keep yard and other debris
away from storm drains.
Teach your children about the importance of conserving water,
about preventing soil erosion, about the effect of pollution
on aquatic life in our streams. Help them to appreciate the
wonders of the natural world and how we as humans have altered
the balance of the ecosystem.
Do your part to protect our habitat so all life will thrive
for years to come.
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