Rasmussen, Marcus, authorCampbell, Sue Ellen, advisorCalderazzo, John, committee memberCafaro, Philip, committee member2007-01-032014-09-302012http://hdl.handle.net/10217/69217I have always been empathetic to beings other than humans. When I was a young boy, natural landscapes and wild animals captured my imagination. By taking me into the wilderness and nurturing my interests, my parents taught me to respect and appreciate the beauty and wonders of the natural world. These essays demonstrate my continuing passion and love for nature but they also reflect the complexity and inherent difficulties of trying to live in a changed and changing world, while recognizing my complicity in that change. This work grapples with some of the ethical choices I have to make as an educated, compassionate human. How does someone who loves and seeks to protect the natural world also honor and protect his own species' role in this world? Is human flourishing compatible with the flourishing of the wild world? By exploring my intimate personal connections to wild nature, I seek to raise and sometimes answer ethical questions such as these. But at the heart of my writing lies a boy who is still in awe of the natural landscape and the wild beings he shares it with.born digitalmasters thesesengCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.TextAccess is limited to the Colorado State University community only.