“The idea of wilderness needs no defense, it only needs defenders.” –Edward Abbey

One hundred fifty-seven days in, I am immersed in the illustrious Mark Twain National Forest. It’s refreshing to be in the presence of such a vast and picturesque wooded area. As I lop branches to clear a trail, or weed eat a trailhead, or remove the creeping vines from a sign, it reminds me of nature’s primal and impressive propensity to reclaim territory. And as I perpetually pick up discarded debris it reminds me of mankind’s tendency to offhandedly disturb and terrorize terrain. It is essential that we evolve our approach to future generations on the magnitude of appreciating and preserving nature, as we near the end of the eras of excusable ignorance.