Please help support the many efforts in Second Life dedicated to the preservation of our environment.

Many don't see the connection of virtual environments in and of themselves helping the real world much. However from my experience when we focus on the environment in Second Life the result is a greater appreciation of the real world environment. The old saying rings so true here - "as life becomes art, so art becomes life'. An artist’s task is to create new ways of seeing with their creations, and to jar consciousness into seeing the beauty that has always been there. Second Life is the perfect venue to achieve this goal.

For example, people have come to me in wonder, even crying, having never seen a particular aspect of a plant - or noticed the way water cascades downwards on its path - until they saw something I created and felt the beauty of the natural world. When one pays such close attention to any detail in life they enter the realm of truly seeing - of art. For me this is love or bliss. With such an experience they have greater respect for the natural world and want to preserve it.

It's too easy to stop appreciating the wonder of the natural world. We see it every day - it's there day in and day out as we drive to work or go about our business. The goal of art is to break through our habitual patterns and sense what was there all along but unappreciated by our closed eyes. And Second Life is the greatest canvas ever - I can't stress enough the amazing potential we have here.

Sure, many don't stop to see - but many do. And even those we think don't really care could end up doing grand things one day. I met a kid once in a virtual world who loved all the 'kill rats get loot' games, but he saw a tree that was 'really cool' and spent some time appreciating it. After some time he became an environmental activist.

As I think about my past experience, one of my greatest inspirations as a child was the Tolkien books where he artfully described the wonder of the environment for the characters in his books. I remember the awe I felt.

In Second Life there are those appreciating the environment in ways we may not have thought about. For example, in my garden store I have met disabled and elderly people who could no longer garden in real life, and expressed gratitude to me for making plants that allow them to garden once again in Second Life.

So I encourage everyone to study all the landscape paintings here, and to even do some building if you haven't tried - make a few rocks - some water streaming down them - take time to play and see something new about the nature that's all around us. It's amazing how focusing awareness on the facets of nature in a virtual world can increase our love of the real world. One can feel the beauty of a spring day in a virtual world as surely as if they sat out in their real life spring garden.

This appreciation is so vital to saving our planet - to save it for our 'resources' is not enough.
There is a beauty in and of itself in nature, whether we humans are here or not. This reminds me of the Native American truth that needs to be kept in mind at all times - we belong to the Earth - the Earth does not belong to us. When we keep this in mind, a love perspective, we leave the ego perspective that got us into this environmental crises in the first place, and we protect the Earth because it is wonderful - a living entity - a 'Live Earth' .

I created an island in Second Life named Second Chance trees, www.SecondChanceTrees.org, to increase the appreciation of rainforests and help save them. It not only displays the beauty of rainforests for those who may never get to visit one, but also provides a practical way for visitors to help. ( For every virtual tree people buy there for one dollar, a real endangered tree is planted in a real rainforest). I'm hoping to see more islands like this, combining a demonstration of the beauty of nature with practical ways of helping.

If you're interested in the process we go through in learning/creating you can visit an innovative college campus I've just completed, where the process of creation is tied into metaphors of nature. (visit the island U21Global Campus and take the metaphor tour)

I encourage you to visit all the beautiful nature areas and support them in whatever way you can. Often such areas must add stores or rentals to them in order to survive financially - I'd like to see more of them supported with donations that would eliminate the need for commercial ventures.

There are so many avenues for involvement in Second Life - ways you can truly make a difference, whether through nature art or groups fighting to make changes so our environment will be protected. I hope you become involved and choose to make a difference in whatever way you can.

And remember, if those who attack call you a 'treehugger' be sure and say 'thank you'. :)