I never realized how important our natural environments are to us until my recent trip to the grand canyon with my family. I am a 40 year old woman who has lived her entire life in Arizona and just for the first time this past month was I able to travel to this natural wonder and view its beauty for myself.

What I was was both breath taking and some what disturbing, as a national park the Grand Canyon naturally attracts thousands in not millions of visitors every year, the come in all modes of transportation and it left me wondering what kind of effect does all that have on the natural environment as a whole, add to that the building of new parking area's and camping areas I wonder just how long this natural park will remain untainted by the ravages of the environment that we are seeing all around the country.