Taking Wildness in Hand

I am by no means a nature loving, hike taking, camping kind of girl- but Michelle Nijhuis, writer of Taking Wildness in Hand: Rescuing Species, had me sympathizing with the nearly extinct tree, Torreya taxifolia. As Americans, we take things like our wild life, plants included, for granted. I bet no one even noticed that the tree that used to flourish and grow large and strong has been stunted in growth and in numbers. At Torreya State Park in Florida Connie Barlow, a naturalist and a writer, took the time to notice the dying species. It is important that the inevitable forth coming of global climate change be recognized immediately, and steps need to be taken to protect species of plants and animals alike that can not handle or live in the new climate as it slowly changes. "Conservationists, in response, have offered more ambitious versions of familiar strategies. Bigger nature reserves. More protected corridors for wildlife migration and movement." These changes that are being made are not enough. That is why the idea of "assisted migration" has become more and more a likely solution for some of the declining species. Assisted migration would involve replanting the tree in a more suitable climate for its growth. The move would be risky and questionable as to how it might survive. "‘Look, we need to start thinking about transplanting organisms around these barriers of agricultural land or urban land, and getting them to the next possible suitable habitat as the climate changes,’ " Barlow stood up for the idea after being shot down by scientists. Something drastic needs to happen to help encourage growth of these trees, and Barlow is helping that change.