Nature
How we treat the land, how we treat all of it’s other creatures is a direct relationship to how we treat ourselves and other humans. Mahatma Gandhi observed that "the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." To seek to reduce the suffering of those who are completely under one's domination, and unable to fight back, is truly a mark of a civilized society.
I believe that all of us are interconnected and when we treat others (humans included) without respect or compassion, we affect ourselves. My fascination of the natural world is with the infinite variety of textures. It includes the relationships I have had with my animal companions, who more often than not are Guides as well as my experiences with the other creatures that share this world with me.