Jim Walters is a member of Papago Buttes. After exploring his gifts, he started working to save the environment. His main focus is Arizona native fish.

Some of his activities include:

• Removing crayfish from Fossil Creek prior to the restoration
• Working with the native fish restoration in Fossil Creek
• Working in the Little Colorado River monitoring endangered fish
• Working in the White Mountains restoring Apache trout
• Leading Crawdad Camps each summer
• Named 2005 "Conservationist of the Year" by the Arizona/New Mexico chapter of the American Fisheries Society
• Appears briefly in "A River Reborn" -- a documentary of the restoration of Fossil Creek

When asked when we have felt closest to God, most of us think of a time we were in the midst of the beauty of Creation. I remain in awe of creation and the Creator when in the Grand Canyon or many other remote places without man-made structures. I marvel at the miracles God has made as I hold a grandchild or a native fish.

God calls us to care for creation. I have chosen to follow this call. Caring for creation is an outgrowth of my Christian faith. I believe that we are commanded to care for creation as God's servants. Humans are placed here by God along with every other living thing. God deemed us and other living organisms as "good." The concept of wilderness as a place where God's presence is felt and where one goes to get right with God and nature is part of many of the Bible stories from Jacob to Jesus.

The Bible is filled with passages that tell us of the relationship between God and nature. It is also filled with admonitions that tell us what will happen if we foul things up. When we were given "dominion" over nature by God who trusted us to care for creation as stewards. This is not a license to use creation for our own gain and purposes. Before God commanded man to be fruitful and multiply, the same command was given to other creatures. So, as we drive other creatures to extinction, we are working against God's plan for creation.

I believe in God, the Creator. God created us and everything that surrounds us. As I gaze at the sky, rocks, plants, and animals, I glorify the Creator. I love God and ALL that God created. When I am in the wilderness, I am especially close to God. Because of my faith, I am compelled to work restoring the natural balances that have been adversely effected by the actions of humans. If we love God, how can we continue to destroy what He has made? Humans are called to care for the garden -- to care for all that God has created.

Jim Walters