On the re-wilded island in the Potomac River amid a couple miles of wildlife trails, there’s a statue of Teddy Roosevelt along with a few granite inscriptions of his thoughts and exhortations on youth, manhood, nature and the state. Nature is slowly reclaiming the plaza’s landscaping, and nobody was there on a drizzly weekday morning. So I felt like I had stumbled across a forgotten sacred space in the forest. Once, a man of great vision, recognizing the importance of wilderness to our spirit and future, fought to protect nature from being wasted by myopic man. He challenged us to overcome our misfortunes, “find delight in the hardy life of the open”, and do our duty to preserve our natural resources for the next generation. Let us not forget him. Let us honor his vision.