If we had heeded Father Tropa’s call to love nature, perhaps we would not be facing the present climate crisis. The message he shared in the 1980s resonated with many who watched his programs, including me. He urged a way of life that honored the environment and fostered harmony among all living beings. Before the environmental crisis became a global concern, I had the privilege of visiting Father Tropa at his Zamboanguita Zoo Paradise and Oceanarium in Negros Oriental. There, the seeds of ecological stewardship were sown in a place that blended wonder with responsibility.
Mother Nature was not simply a backdrop for our lives; she was a partner in our existence. Father Tropa’s group, the Lamplighters, undertook reforestation projects that transformed a denuded hill in Cebu into the Cebu Zoo and Conservation Center. The work of these forest healers demonstrated that small, purposeful acts - like planting trees, restoring habitats, and protecting wildlife - could ripple outward to create healthier communities and healthier planetary ecosystems. The Lamplighters’ distinctive appearance - long hair and whiskers, walking barefoot - was more than a stylistic choice. They believed these features connected them to the earth and served as an “antenna” to sense the world’s needs. Their motto - “To love one another and to love nature” - captured a simple, enduring truth: human welfare and environmental health are inseparable.
Father Eleuterio J. Tropa, who passed away in 1993, embodied a rare fusion of priestly devotion, conservation ethics, philosophical inquiry, and scientific curiosity. As the international founder and president of The Lamplighter, later SpaceShip 2000 in Long Beach, California, he championed a holistic vision that transcended religious boundaries. His work urged humanity to recognize the earth as our shared home and to treat all life with reverence.
The preamble of their movement outlined a bold, universal mission. It spoke of a commitment to humanity and the world, binding themselves for the ultimate salvation of mankind by preparing a better, more peaceful life for children. They advocated devoting life through service and sacrifice to propagate messages of goodwill, unity, and peace for all - regardless of religion, creed, race, or nationality. They called for the upholding of a natural and simple life and for reawakening and enlightening moral values toward spiritual and human brotherhood. The central claim was that true love for God expresses itself as love for humanity - service that belongs to all. They urged seeing the world as our true home, the earth as our mother, and all people as brothers. Harmony, they asserted, is the law of life, guiding all beings toward a common, luminous ideal: light, truth, and peace. In their ethic, we act as we preach; we forgive those who err, for they know not what they do, and they remind us that humanity’s last hope lies in unity: “UNITED WE SURVIVE, DIVIDED WE PERISH.”
Reflecting on these ideals today invites a renewed commitment to environmental stewardship and social harmony. If their calls had been heeded more widely, perhaps climate inaction would be less widespread, and communities would be better prepared to confront changing conditions. As individuals and societies, we can honor Father Tropa’s legacy by supporting reforestation, protecting biodiversity, reducing waste, and fostering compassionate, inclusive attitudes toward all people. In doing so, we honor the spiritual and scientific undertakings that sought to align humanity with the enduring law of harmony - the very principle that can still guide us toward a sustainable, peaceful future.
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