Before coming to prison I lived and worked in Nevada. I shared my home at Lake Tahoe with my dearly loved pets: 3 dogs, 7 parrots, and a toco toucan. I also had 2 horses.

From an early age I developed an keen interest in Nature; firstly, through watching nature shows on TV and, in my early teens, through working for two years in a zoo where I helped care for the small animalls and birds. As my knowledge of animals and their habitat grew so too did my concern for the environment. In summer I enjoyed hiking, swimming, camping and sailing. In winter I loved to ski. So it was through these interests my passion for the natural world and conservation developed.

I visited many locations, including the Amazon, in South America to explore the rainforests, rivers, and sea, and to allow me to observe and photograph the wild creatures in their natural environment. My love for the creatures of the earth brought me in contact with many people of different cultures. I discovered how they lived and the problems they faced. Despite the obvious differences of language and customs, through travel, I learned that all the people of the earth are related in the sense that we all share a desire for peace and harmony, have a common need for secure housing - a place to call home - clean water and food, and to be treated with dignity and respect. Even though I couldn't speak many of the languages I encountered I found that a smile, an act of kindness, and a pair of hands to sign, overcame many language barriers. The language that connects people of all nations comes from the heart - it is the universal language understood by all.

I travelled Europe by bike and by hitching visiting many countries including Germany, Italy, and Spain and found friendly people everywhere. I found no place truly foreign. Each new place meant the chance to make new friends. Whether I was in the Scandinavian countries, the middle of the Amazon, outback Australia, or the bamboo forests of Asia, I found myself at home.

Through experiencing many different cultures I have developed an understanding of people and their religions. With this in mind I question the continuing fighting and strife that mars the prospect of world peace when at the base of everything are our common human needs and aspirations. We are all connected by the fact of being human with basic human needs.

I felt privileged that my work allowed me to sail for six months of the year. My fear of flying meant I got to swim with the dolphins particularly around Bora Bora and Morea. I saw the magnificance of the coral reefs of the world. I remember the joy of seeing the coastlines of Indonesia lined with palms and the lush jungle and thinking how precious it all was and how it should never be lost.

I loved the people and the places I visited and my life was the richer for it. The happy memories of that time have helped me survive the many years of my imprisonment. My most earnest wish is to be free to travel the earth and re-visit the places that gave me such happiness long ago. I want more than anything to be able to continue my work for the environment and be in a position once again to help my friends in need.

My friend of that time, Po, a Buddhist monk who lived in Thailand, told me that we all look up at the same moon and stars - all seeing the same with the same hopes and dreams - and the saying goes - 'yesterday the moon took lodging on my sleeve and gave me hope even for the broken-hearted stars'- and it's in that hope I ask for your help to gain my freedom.
Tracy

To continue click on the link below.