Dear Mr. Ned,

I want to thank you for realizing true success includes more than commercialization. Accomplishments are judged not only by what we do, but also what we do not do. Many thought preserving nature was ridiculous and too costly, but not you.

Thank you for not strip mining the island for its rock salt. To maximize profits, others have removed mountain tops or destroyed eco systems they called overburden. Yes it would have been easier, but all this would have been lost.

Thank you too for befriending innocent birds slaughtered for their feathers. These callous acts nearly eliminated entire species from the earth. If not for conservationist like you, Snowy Egrets would now exist as memories.

Thank you for recovering the natural gas and crude oil in an eco-friendly manner. Burying pipes and routing them around trees and other eco sensitive areas is not cheap. Either is planning for potential spills and finding ways of minimizing environmental impacts. One day when the gas and oil are depleted, Avery Island's beauty can now continue.

Thank you too for demonstrating your philosophies as the family patriarch. They learned well and have continued fighting the battle. Others would have cashed out and left the island in ruins, but not your family.

Thank you for sharing your dreams and accomplishments with the world. No one said it would be easy, but that didn’t stop you. Job well done Mr. Ned.

Mother Nature