If children grow up understanding that we are animals, they will look at other species with a sense of fellowship and community. If they understand their ecological place — the biosphere — then when children see the great virgin forests of the Queen Charlotte Islands being clear-cut, they will feel physical pain, because they will understand that those trees are an extension of themselves . (From Hidden Lessons) Question: What does the writer mean by the idea of children seeing trees as "an extension of themselves"?