photo by Lincoln Capricone 

The living earth is a large sphere orbiting the sun. From space, it appears as a small orb of ocean currents with continents blending deserts, vegetation and ice caps partially obscured by the atmosphere of clouds and precipitation. Closer in, it resolves itself in an intricate series of contiguous biomes: forests and grasslands, rivers and lakes, watersheds and marshlands, lakes, fragmented woodlands and forests, savannas and grasslands - a most marvelous and fragile ecological system upon which millions of species depend. From plate tectonics, ocean and wind currents and hydrological cycles, to earthquakes, volcanoes, climate change, natural forces (larger than human forces) have shaped and continue to shape the evolution of our planet over time.