Conserving 'natural spaces' to be natural – protecting nature and the resources she provides to us is not a new concern. It is in fact, a part of our entire human philosophical and religious history. Protecting our environment has deep cultural significance and has always been highlighted in our development as a huge a pillar of our ethos.

There are no traditional religious philosophies on our planet that do not highlight the protection of nature, particularly forests and trees, spiritual sites, animals, plants and birds and their lives as sacred. From the very earliest times humans have built an ethic out of the value of environmental protection that has separated the good in our lives from the evil in our lives.
Whether we depend on the protection of nature because of the romantic or spiritual belief that it is a temple where the Man can share and communicate with God, or whether the beauty of nature stimulates the religious feelings and supports spiritual experiments, or whether we simply see nature as a provider and supplier of resources we depend on for life, we should all have a deep rooted sense of security, of longevity and of respect that we have a home – a space that has always provided us with our lives.

The Kruger National Park is one of these spaces. It is great natural space that should be part of our culture, our spiritual and religious philosophy, our socio-economic and political futures, and of course, a solid ethic of protection to which we all subscribe.

When nature plants a seed, all of her processes and resources are used. She is dynamic and continually Rethinks the process, continually Reduces waste, Reuses her resources and Recycles her work. These four “R’s” are not new concepts in consumer conservation, they are talked about often – still referred to as priorities in our relationship with our environment, and still held up as the cornerstones of our own involvement.

Local purchasing and community development; the sustained, and efficient use of renewable resources; the moderation of destructive use of finite resources and the prevention of harm to common resources such as air and water quality, the natural functions of a living earth, are cultural values in a built environment. It’s a tough question to answer if you’re asked about your ethic in conservation. Sadly the general response to this question is; “I don’t care,” or “No!” Or, “I’m trying!” The most honest of which seems to be “I don't care!”

I believe we need to plant a seed again. As a nation we need to adopt these four “R’s” of social conservation, and nurture a sustained ethic of environmental consciousness before it’s too late. We need to start at the beginning, with our children, and allow our children the chance, and afford them the tools, to protect what will become their natural spaces and their quality of life.

A national effort to Re-introduce the Kruger NP as an icon of conservation and not as a pleasure resort; to Rethink our motivations for wanting to see a lion; to Reduce our waste; to Reuse the information on conservation and protection when we are back at home, and to Recycle our rubbish properly, and then to RETURN a message of protection to our children and RE-INSTILL the values associated with conservation, REFLECT on the damage we have caused already.

And as South Africans...Reflect on how effective our custodianship of our natural space has been to date. Try and reduce an increasing hunger for more and more wild escapes and self-centred entertainment at the cost of the landscape, and the quality of the air and water we send out to millions of people gasping for a quality provider.

Neil Heron
Bearded Heron Safaris      

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