Mitakuye Oyasin “We Are All Related” (Lakota)

We are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of recognizing the interconnectedness of all beings. Biodiversity invites us to see how many species are working together to create and sustain life just outside our windo w. Diversity is unity. When organisms work together, the ecosystem can navigate disturbances and imbalances more successfully.

As human members of an ecosystem, we have the opportunity and "response-ability" to be keystone stewards. This means our engagement with the ecosystem can be pivotal for its overall balance and vitality. The time of leaving anthropogenically disturbed ecosystems to regenerate themselves is over! Let us step into our role as stewards partnering with Nature for the benefit of all beings.

OBJECTIVES & GUIDING QUESTIONS

• Identify and catalog species present in ecosystem. Who is not present? Why?

• Is it beneficial to re-establish habitats for these species? Which species are present? What are their roles?
  Recognize keystone species and their role in the ecosystem.

• Gauge biodiversity of the Eastern Sagauche County where it stands. How can we support our local biodiversity?

• Locate zones with higher and lower amounts of biodiversity, what can the environmental indicators tell us?

• Identify natural keystone stewards, for example, mother trees. What can we learn from them?

• Become Keystone Stewards!