‘Neither an individual tree nor a species has to prove its evolutionary function or value, nor do human defenders of old growth forests have to prove the value of such to a human economy in order to justify their protection. We are in service to a place. We serve the needs of the land community. We receive from that community such services as food and materials for cloths, shelter, and fuel. We are not stewards of the place managing a piece of property for sustained yield or highest profit in a short time frame. We are attentive to the needs of the whole community. We are students of our place.
Bill Devall, 1988. Simple in Means, Rich in ends: Practising Deep Ecology.
