A Letter from the Publisher About the 2016 Presidential Election

Dear Bay Nature Community,

As Michael Brune of the Sierra Club said in his post-election message earlier today, “This doesn’t feel real.” But it is. For those of us who care about nature, who care about the environment, who care about the planet, who care about the future, there is no way to sugarcoat the results of this election.

Bay Nature is not a partisan organization and we do not take sides in elections. But we do have core values that guide our mission, our outlook, and our work. And those values tell us that we do not make America great by cutting down more of its forests, or opening up its public lands to fossil fuel extraction, or gutting protections for its endangered species, or allowing armed groups to take over its wildlife refuges, or undoing rules that protect its streams and rivers, or withdrawing from climate change agreements.

We are “great” to the extent that we respect the people around us and the place where we live. We are “great” when we come together in community to restore a creek or create a park or save an endangered species. Or simply revel in the natural beauty of this place.

We in the Bay Area are fortunate to live in a place that is not only beautiful but also populated by people who are open-minded, curious, and creative, and who care deeply about the local environment and the planet. Bay Nature’s mission is to promote connection to the natural world of the Bay Area and to nurture connections between people who share that goal. And that seems more important now than ever. In this challenging time, we will hold on to our values, hold on to each other, and hold on to the Earth that gives us life and meaning. And we will continue to tell the stories of local nature—and the people who care for it—as an antidote to the fear and divisiveness that has gripped much of our nation. Going silent, giving up, is not an option.

Thanks to all of you for your support and for the many ways you help build a community of love and care for nature and for each other.

David Loeb
for the staff of Bay Nature