In the biblical story of Genesis, it is said in the first chapter that God made “humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." (Holy Bible, 1989, p. 4 ) Let them have dominion. In Hebrew the word dominion is translated as va'yered, to descend upon the fish and animals. This is a mythological story that has human beings in a power play with the earth; taking a superior position in relation to the earth and other living species. Interestingly, in the second chapter of Genesis, when the human being is placed in the garden he is told that his relationship with the natural world is, in the Hebrew translation, le'ovdah u'leshomrah, which means to work, or serve, and guard or protect the earth.  What does the second story have to teach us? What if our understanding of our surroundings put us on an equal playing field, a mutualistic partnership with the earth? If we understand the world objectively, as a separate entity from ourselves, we will treat it very differently, than if we see ourselves interconnected with the planet. John O’Donohue, in his interview on the National Public Radio show Being (formerly known as Speaking of Faith) speaks to this: “It makes a huge difference when you wake in the morning and come out of your house, whether you believe you are walking into dead geographical location which is used to get to a destination, or whether you are emerging out into a landscape that is just as much, if not more alive than you, but in a totally different form. If you go towards it with a ...real watchful reverence, you will be absolutely amazed at what it will reveal to you.” (O’Donohue, 2008) And what are the benefits of recognizing, and even honoring, this interconnectedness? Capra suggests that when we know we belong to the universe and are at home in it, we find “this experience of belonging can make our lives profoundly meaningful.” (2002, p. 69) How we understand our relationship to the planet, or how environmentally literate we are, is the foundation for every action we engage in on the planet.