Fjölrit RALA - 05.12.1999, Síða 21

Thadis W. Box
19
But deserts will continue to grow and land will become more degraded if we do not
instill in the human spirit a love for the land to which we belong. If we cannot teach
our children that land is more than dirt on their Nike Air Jordan shoes, land will con-
tinue to wash away while we meet and read scientific papers to one another.
I leave you now with a salute to Iceland and a challenge.
íceland
ice
fíre
floods
eroded lands
Iceland
young landscapes
old culture
centuries of Norsemen
carved woodlands
into modern cities
geothermal heat
pure water
sagas
songs
traditions
national self image
of mown meadows
future green pastures
in the minds of
scientists
politicians
poets
We resource managers have a special role in preventing future deserts. We are
practicing ecologists with knowledge that can be applied. We are the spokespersons
for a special kind of land. Let us now tum what we have learned into action. Thank
you for allowing me to think out loud about the foture of our land.