The philosophy that I have worked under most of my life is that the serious study of natural history is an activity which has far-reaching effects in every aspect of a person's life. It ultimately makes people protective of the environment in a very committed way. It is my opinion that the study of natural history should be the primary avenue for creating environmentalists.

Birds, it must be admitted, are the most exciting and most deserving of the vertebrates; they are perhaps the best entre into the study of natural history, and a very good wedge into conservation awareness.

The truth of the matter is, the birds could very well live without us, but many -- perhaps all -- of us would find life incomplete, indeed almost intolerable without the birds.

Butterflies may be better indicators of the health of our environment than birds.

The more you look, the more you will see.

Birds are, perhaps, the most eloquent expression of reality.

Not all is doom and gloom. We are beginning to understand the natural world and are gaining a reverence for life - all life.