I can’t write this month’s president’s message for the Outdoor News Bulletin on any topic other than the heartbreak that is the loss of so very many highly skilled, amazingly well-qualified, deeply passionate, and selflessly dedicated conservation-related public servants. I have both personal and professional relationships with many affected by the recent firings and I too struggle to find silver linings.

I recently came across an Adam Grant post on the functional theory of emotion that has helped me process some of my own emotions in this moment. Grant says, “the purpose of negative emotions is not to cause misery. It’s to prevent mistakes. Outrage is a signal to speak up. Anxiety is a prompt to prepare. Guilt is a reminder to repair. Disappointment is a cue to persist. Our pain reveals our principles. Where we hurt, is a clue to what we value.” I think that last part bears repeating, “our pain reveals our principles. Where we hurt is a clue to what we value.”

Anyone with a meaningful connection to wildlife and natural resources, values these things. Changes in the system that detract or diminish your ability, or our collective abilities, to fulfil the task of stewardship, hurt. It hurts simply because it negatively impacts the things and people we care about.

When our partners, our allies, our friends in the conservation arena are lost to dismissals or are burdened by distractions, it hurts—not only because we need all of us to do this work, but simply because it’s a loss of our partners, our allies, and our friends. Again, our pain, reveals our principles, and all of us feeling the hurt at this moment are doing so based on our principles.

We know that change is anticipated with any new administration. Each time a presidential administration changes in the United States, it brings about renewed scrutiny of the previous administration and new personnel and priorities associated with the new administration. This phenomenon is not new to the US. The elimination of a significant portion of our nation’s conservation science workforce is most definitely a sobering strategy that has occurred at novel speeds and magnitudes.

There are undoubtedly inefficiencies and bureaucracies in the federal system that warrant attention and overhaul. Some may be in the form of people, but most inefficiencies and bureaucracies are not in the agencies, programs, or personnel that are most frequently in the crosshairs of change and therefore feeling the impact of the current actions taken under the auspices of waste and fraud. My experience is that the most conspicuous and burdensome inefficiencies are found in policies and procedures that federal employees must follow as articulated in laws, regulations, and orders developed by elected officials, layered in complexity, constantly changing interpretations, and sometimes even creating conflictual directions.

I will avoid filling this space with conjecture and speculation regarding motivations and potential impacts and instead share some observations.

There is significant chaos in the system at present. Chaos has strained and stressed long-standing relationships and distracted us all from our routines. Even the mundane has become difficult. Concentrating and focusing amidst uncertainty strains our minds as simple tasks grow more challenging.

The uncertainty of clutter and chaos are linked to negative emotions like confusion, tension, and irritability. We as a conservation community need to recognize this chaos, as well as take proactive steps that have the power to turn chaos into transformative change. Deepak Chopra said, “all great changes are preceded by chaos.” Sometimes difficult, unpredictable, and terrible experiences awaken us to the realities of our existence, often encouraging us to get on with work we have been waiting to do. Whether we like it or not, it forces us to make difficult choices and take bold steps forward in life. To be perfectly clear, I’m not saying that to the people who were fired. That’s my call to the rest of the conservation community and those within it who have either resisted doing the work or denied its need.

For victims of federal firings who were in a probationary period because they just started a new career, or because they recently switched careers, or the myriads of other perfectly valid reasons, I’m sorry for how you’ve been treated through this. I’m sorry the conservation institution has temporarily lost your knowledge and passion. I am sorry for how hard you worked to get that dream job, only to have it all vanish without warning.

I am not in your shoes and therefore can only imagine your hurt, anger, sorrow, and frustration. I know that the purpose of conservation work was once enough to inspire your career path and education. I encourage you not to let anyone dampen that spirit. Conservation needs you and your passion. Let your purpose hold you steady through the chaos. Keep the conservation fire burning inside you and please draw on that purpose to help you endure, regardless of where that may be and who it might be with.

“Our pain reveals our principles. Where we hurt is a clue to what we value.” I remain confident that our hurt, our principles, and our values will somehow find opportunities in this chaos.