Natural places around the world today are being ravaged by urban encroachment. It is sad to watch that more and more places that were once pristine in their natural beauty are being defaced and well frankly, irrevocably destroyed by so called "progress." I live in Orange County, California. I recently discovered the Back Bay. This is an area of land, now a nature reserve, which connects the Newport Harbor to the Upper Newport Bay. This nature preserve is habitat for numerous species of animals including all kinds of mammals, birds, reptiles and insects. It is also a wonderful place for humans to hike, bike, and walk. And numerous people enjoy the Back Bay and walk their dogs or ride their horses as well. Historically, the Back Bay takes its shape from the Santa Ana River. Fossils of mammoth, bison and giant sloth have been found dating back to the Pleistocene Epoch. It is estimated that human beings inhabited this area since 9,000 years ago. And about 2,000 years ago the Gabrielino Indians made this their home. Since then, the area has seen Spanish Missionary impact and many business endeavors until the 1960s when concerned citizens fought to designate the area an ecological preserve. Today, the area not only serves to provide a habitat to countless species, many of whom are in the state and federal endangered species lists, but also, human beings enjoy it as a place to kayak, canoe, picnic, horseback ride, bike, hike and bird watch. And as for me, I have found it to be a wonderful place to connect to nature which has been tremendously healing. Overtime, I have developed the opinion that in our world where we are so focused on technology, we sometimes miss the beauty of nature -including other people as a part of that nature- and fail to connect with it and them. For instance, have you ever sat at a dinner table with another person and their face is buried in their cell phone? It begs the question, what are we not connecting with now, if we are so focused on a gadget? I believe that what is real in this moment, is what is here an now. I have learned that a nature connectedness is of imminent importance. I hope that you take this idea and try it out. Try going out to nature places and just being there. Try connecting with the things there, the trees, the animals, the birds, the insects, the land, everything And then notice, how that makes you feel? Being connected to nature can truly change a person's life, quality of life and outlook on life. I feel strongly about encouraging people to be connected to nature. This is one of the reasons I made this book. And I believe that the best to start being connected to nature is by being in nature. Also, hopefully other communities will push to create enclaves of nature like the Back Bay where animals and creatures can live in peace and people can go to be in nature. I, for one, are tremendously grateful to all those people who preserved the Back Bay and who continue to do so. You are heroes. THANK YOU