11 I loved to hear Poppi’s stories and watch them come to life in my trips with him. I know that every creature, no matter how large or small, has a job to do in the rainforest. Even the insects. “I tell you the truth, Marcos. Nature is a very loving gift and we need to take care of it.” “But how?” I asked. I hadn’t thought much about my environment before. He looked up at the tall trees around us and knelt beside me. I waited. “Every day when I come to the forest, I say ‘gracias’ to the trees and animals here. And I am very careful not to hurt them.”