There is a place on this planet called the Amazon, and I don’t mean the online shopping site (is that still a thing in your time?).

I think every parent believes that their child’s future is worth protecting – because I know the power of this force in me and what I am willing to do.

The fact that you are reading this means that you would know the answer to a question that has kept me up at night more often than I would like to admit: Did I make you proud?

Fortunately, you didn’t get injured while the wildfire burned your school.

I also hope that your previous prayers have been answered. The way you wanted to create green jobs for your fellow city dwellers have been fulfilled already.

I am sitting in a classroom thinking about you. Which is rare for me. I hope that our family has taken some initiative to do something about changing society instead of building robots and large houses.

The road I learned to ride my bike on, the field where I kicked my first soccer ball, and the park I ate my first ice cream cone at, could all be gone.

Thank you — Thank you — without you, I would not hear butterflies singing, without you, I would not understand black bear humor, or the creativity of jays planning their breakfast, without you, I would not feel flora whispers of long-lived wisdom on the back of my neck while sitting in Padmasana.

The world is changing and it is happening fast.

I imagine at this point we have dropped our addiction to coal, gas, and oil and that our environment has made a turn for the better with the solar, wind, and other unimagined (at this point) alternative energy choices are in place.

We’re presenting at conferences, writing articles, and organizing events with the goal of mobilizing our profession to act on climate, and to help them understand that it will deeply impact our mission to preserve history for future generations.