Every human being has precious moments they can recount after a nature excursion.

The spider’s web that glistens in morning dew. . .the soft sunlight that gently warms your face as you smile upwards toward the sky. . .birds chattering excitedly in tall leafy trees. . .the swift lizard that dashes round a rock. . .the sound of waves crashing beside a sandy shore. . .the call of geese as they return south for winter. . .

The profound and simple joys of nature are intimately woven into the lives of every one of us. It is not by chance that the environmental damage of today strikes a chord of heartbreak inside those of us who care.

Growing up in Coconut Grove, Florida, the moments I cherished most were the hours spent in my family’s lush, subtropical backyard, imagining it all as a wildlife sanctuary, where neighborhood cats (yes, cats!), birds, lizards and the occasional monkey could cohabitate harmoniously.

I’ve come to realize that in the very act of protecting, planting, and nourishing the earth, we are also saving and re-generating ourselves ~ our hearts, our spirit, our souls . . . the very essence of our being. Yes, we are interconnected with all of life on earth. Sanctuary for the earth creates sanctuary for us.

World Sanctuaries is an idea whose time has come ~ an international eco-certification program for people everywhere to incorporate wildlife protection, habitat diversity and sanctuary into their properties. Based on the principles of permaculture, a World Sanctuaries certification provides a simple, elegant vehicle for proactively turning around environmental conditions ~ for generations to come.