Natural history: The practice of falling in love with the world

Natural history—a practice of intentional, focused attentiveness to the more-than-human world, guided by honesty and accuracy—is the oldest continuous human tradition; there have never been people without natural history. Natural history provides the essential empirical foundation for natural sciences and for clarifying conservation priorities and strategy. No less importantly, it provides the basis for healthy human individuals and societies by embedding human experience in a larger context of connectedness. The passionate practice of natural history allows a falling-in-love with the world, and thus the motivation to care for it.