After hiking 5k, the last thing my classmates and i wanted to do was leave the trail to the nearest lake and climb to the top of a steep hill, but our tutors wouldn't let us continue until with did. The hill wasn't too tough, but roots and branches from eucalyptus tress obstructed the small path to the top. Each person paused when they reached the peak, forcing everyone behind them to grab onto the nearest tree to keep from sliding back to the bottom of the hill. Still, no one could stop themselves from pausing in awe once they saw the view. At the top of this hill, the forest we had been hiking through abruptly turned into massive sand dunes that peaked at just the right angle that we could leap from the top and roll all the way to the bottom on the finest sand I had ever felt. We played in the dunes for hours, forgetting how tired we were, simply enjoying the purity of the setting, and leaving, as cliche as it may sound, only our footprints.

With that in mind as well as countless other experiences, saving nature is certainly worthwhile. The fees we paid to enter the preserved area were fairly minimal, but the simply joy and awe of moments like that are priceless. Nature, even ignoring consumptive services, has value in the fact that it exists, that it can bring sustainable yet infinite enjoyment to many.