In our last episode of learning how to see, we talked about seeing nature as a doctor,

trying to diagnose and prescribe, come up with a therapy or treatment plan

when nature has been wounded by human activity and needs our help now to bring healing.

Sometimes the doctor has to get involved

in what we might call public health,

changing the conditions of how we humans live

so that our behaviors stop harming

the beloved natural world as we're doing now.

Today, we're going to meet someone who spent much of her career working in the federal government

to bring protection to vulnerable places on the earth, places that have been diagnosed as under threat.

Of course, today, it feels like the whole world is under threat in so many ways. But I think you're going to benefit from

understanding how it's not only scientists and ecologists and conservationists, but it's also people

who are involved in government

who play a key role in helping us see

how precious this world is

so we can save it and protect it and love it and cherish it.

When I was a little boy, I remember, especially in the spring and in the summer,

whenever our family would take a long drive, especially in the late afternoon or early evening,

our windshield would be covered in the remains of little splattered bugs.

And a couple of years ago, I noticed I just don't see that many bugs anymore. I don't see that many bugs anywhere.

And I realize I've lived long enough,

and the change has happened gradually enough, that I didn't even notice that there's been a huge

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