Make the change

"Most importantly, START SOMETHING"

That's the note Siva ended with at yesterdays talk about conservation.

"The public adds value to wild places, [they are] nowadays a very potent force"

Remember: Public popularity gave Chek Jawa its reprieve.

Siva cited the story of the albatross, a bird that lives and wanders far into the least inhibited parts of the ocean, and how it can still be affected by land activities. The stomach contents of a single albatross yielded plastic and styrafoam bits that have drifted from land, showing how a individual's action can effect something so seemingly distant.

"The government needs civil participation."

Everyone can effect change, no matter how small. Every citizen on Earth shares a responsibility.

If you believe in something, you can make a difference.

Talk to people, change values. Set up a blog or weblog. Discuss with friends. Share our wild places. Your action doesn't have to start big. You can do something on your own, or join an existing group. The Hantu Blog is an example of such an initiative - an extremely simple set up on a blog, operated by no IT genius. Talking about Hantu on finsonline. Sharing Hantu through simple dive trips.

Remember the story of the albatross, and the litter released into the sea by a person who thought a piece of litter that small wouldn't make a difference in the mass of the ocean. You can be that person who picked that one piece of litter up before it reached the sea.