Animal Cams: The world as seen by 'The Others.'   "Tumbleweed Rolling" by Sam Easterson Aldo Leopold once wrote that what's required for conservation education is an ethical underpinning built on a "universal curiosity" to understand the "land mechanism." In Round River Journal, Leopold speaks of the land mechanism, the complex web of ecological relationships, as one of the outstanding scientific discoveries of the twentieth century. But only those who know the most about it can appreciate how little we know about it, can value every part of it as good whether we understand it or not. Leopold writes: "If the biota, in the course of aeons, has built something we like but do not understand, then who but a fool would discard seemingly useless parts? To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering."   While people have extensive knowledge of animal and plant behaviors - like the communication skills of dolphins; and while we are even inspired by Nature's greatest achievements - witness the spider's silk, humans persist in tinkering with the wonders of Mother Earth with devastating results for countless species across the globe. Knowledge, inspiration...what next step might we take to assure the existence of small "cogs and wheels" which determine harmony or disharmony between humans and 'the others?'   "Wolf Sniffing Flowers" by Sam Easterson For over ten years video-artist Sam Easterson has been filming animals and plants in a very creative way. Easterson outfits wild animals and plants with "helmet-mounted" video cameras. His Animal Cams are accomplished deep inside animal and plant native habitats. While his objectives have both artistic and commerical dimensions, (his work is seen in museums and galleries worldwide), his most notable accomplisment may be placing humans in perspective, even diminishing a root cause of environmental destruction...the hubris of humans. The Natural Resource Council notes that the work "Gives viewers a new perspective on the natural world." The Kansas City Star, reviewing a touring exhibit in that city, wrote that "Nature looks and sounds different from an animal's point of view...an entirely different experience from PBS nature programs or the zoo; here we merge with the animal-subjects instead of viewing them as objects apart from ourselves."   American P.I.E. urges people, joining Sam Easterson, to view the world through the perspective of 'the others.' Our "universal curiosity" may enable us to better understand - and then preserve - the "land mechanism." Explore some sample footage at Animal Cams.   American P.I.E. Public Information on the Environment P.O. Box 676     Northfield, MN  55057-0676   Call 800-320-APIE (2743) E-mail info@americanpie.org Fax 507-645-5724 Click here to support our efforts! American Public Information on the Environment, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to developing and administering action programs which help build a more informed, environmentally responsible, activist citizenry in the United States. The environmental mission of American P.I.E. rests on the premise that building public awareness is the most effective of all the long-term forces for change.