NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT ALUMNI DINNER

1. So what's so great about being a natural resources professional? Well, for me it has been the opportunity to introduce a lot of students to the discipline of natural resources. I don't think what I actually taught was as important as simply exposing students to the discipline through classes, projects, field experiences, and field trips. They have been able to take this exposure and run with it picking up the knowledge and strategies they needed to do the job.

2. The fact is, people in the U.S. and world depend on us (natural resource professionals) to guide the management of the nation's and world's natural resources which are the foundation of our civilization. A major cause of the collapse of past civilizations was mismanagement of their land and other natural resources. Even today people are suffering starvation, malnutrition , and diseases because of poor natural resources management. The problem is exacerbated, of course, by economic, political, cultural, and social problems.

3. You and I can't solve all the problems associated with natural resource use and abuse. We can, however, make a difference where we live and work. People in the U.S are no longer closely associated with the natural resources that provide for their well-being.

4. I believe there is a lot of ignorance and apathy within the general public concerning natural resources management. I also think we can do something about this by being more enthusiastic about our work and profession and by believing ourselves that what we do is important. If we don't believe what we do is important, it is much harder for others to accept the fact that good resource management is essential to continue the kind of life we have here in Indiana and the U.S.

5. What more important contribution to society can you make than to help manage and use the resources that sustains society?

6. It is very hard to be enthusiastic about your profession and the work you do if you really would like to do something else, and it is enthusiasm about what you do that often enable you to be extra special and extra good in your job. We need extra special natural resource professionals.

7. If you are not 100 percent committed to doing the job, find another occupation. Being a natural resource professional is too important to keep someone who is only partially committed.

8. Here are some thoughts about how to work with people and be enthusiastic that I have shared over the years with natural resource professions around the country:

     1. Be optimistic rather than pessimistic--- expect success
     2. Have confidence in what you do--- don't be tentative
     3. Rejoice when others succeed and look for the best in those around you
     4. Don't compare yourself or your achievements to others--- make your          comparisons with your own goals and aspirations
     5. Think, believe, and visualize success--- and know what success means to you
     6. From the very moment you really decide nothing can defeat you, nothing can
     7. Anticipate the best--- in yourself and in others
     8. Let yourself get excited about what happens around you at work and at home
     9. Give life all you've got and life will give all it has to you
     10. Act enthusiastic--- for as you act you tend to be
     11. Enthusiasm is catching--- to others and to you

9. Very few people get excited about ideas made from dull, boring, or unenthusiastic advocates.

10. My advice to you is to be a dreamer. Don't dream all the time, of course, but have dreams and aspirations for your job and life. People who take time to do a little dreaming and much more likely to be enthusiastic about life and their career than those who only embroil themselves in the humdrum aspects of their life.

11.  In closing, I am reminded of the bumper sticker I saw the other day that said "There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot." Just make sure your fishing!