‘Nature deficit’ rears its ugly head

It’s spring break for many students – a whole wonderful week with time to explore. Time, also, for a reminder that Mother Earth is, has been, and always will be, a primary source of learning material for every age.

There’s bark to feel and weather to observe; jackrabbits to chase and birds to count; animal tracks to discover and photograph. In short, all manner of learning (disguised as fun) can be found out-of-doors.

Whoever said that schoolwork has to be done inside? Let Mother Earth be the classroom. Most classroom topics can be taught from an environmental perspective.

Research suggests that educating outdoors promotes self-esteem and responsibility, conferring many academic benefits by stimulating, inspiring and improving motivation. When walls are gone, student attitude and work gains energy, releasing creativity and imagination.

Ever since Richard Louv wrote his groundbreaking work: Last Child in the Woods (2005), society has been alerted to saving children from ‘nature-deficit disorder.’ Louv cautions us to think carefully about children’s connection with the natural world…or lack thereof.

His book directly links the absence of nature in the lives of today’s wired generation to some of the most disturbing childhood trends: the rise in obesity, attention disorders, and depression. This was the first book to bring together a body of research indicating that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults.

The younger generation, increasingly plugged in to electronic devices, may be tuning out the out-of-doors to their great disadvantage. Surveys show that today’s kids know little about nature, an undeniable problem tied to social and cultural values.

The internet, ipods, blackberries, and TV seduce us with quick fixes and instant gratification. Technology makes information access easier … but this electronic savvy comes at the detriment of healthy self-actualization.

In this age of pagers, instant messaging, and cell phones, the precious time for free, natural and adventurous play has been lost. Louv explains that the way children understand and experience nature has changed radically within the space of a few decades; today’s youngsters know about global warming and other threats to the environment, but their physical contact with nature is on the wane. Today’s younger generation has come to think nature is something to watch, to consume, to wear or to ignore.

Video games, keyboards and remote controls will never replace insects, animals and hands-on experience with nature. Increasingly, as ‘nature deficit’ rears its ugly head, we all need to increase our exposure to nature.

Adults who guide children towards a relationship with nature will help them find joy and solitude in the outdoors and a sense of purpose. Experiencing, knowing and thereby respecting nature leads to an understanding of the Earth and the systems that support our very lives.

E-mail Christine at: wildernesswest@shaw.ca.