If you ever find yourself with a bit of time and a lot of money, take a trip somewhere and see a rainforest. You will thank yourself again and again. The best part is that when you return, your first-hand accounts and descriptions will have far more influence on a surprising number of people than any email or news report could ever have.

If folks could simply see and appreciate the beauty of a rainforest and disregard the potential for making money from its resources, they would never allow the destruction.

But even if you can never make the journey, a number of zoos are now featuring rainforest exhibits. The one at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. is excellent.

Oh, and while I'm on the subject of zoos I should share a secret. The National Zoo is free to the public. On its signs, it states that it opens at 10 AM (if memory serves). However, the gate is actually open at about 7 AM. This is when the animals are most active. It is, for instance, about the time that the lions are fed. (The roaring is awesome!) This is the time to be there. By the time most people arrive at the zoo, the animals are in siesta mode and mostly just lay about. The zoo is much more fun to see in the early morning. I have been there quite a few times at 7 or so and have never had anyone complain.