francene--blog. Year 2013
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Oct 16th

10/16/2013

 
Picturewww.parks.ca.gov
Some experts think modern living is causing more people to become disconnected from green spaces and the natural world, and that our health and well-being is suffering.

I agree with this. Maybe "street gangs" wouldn't exist if we all lived close to nature and developed a bond. Then again, I grew up in an area with no trees apart from a park about fifteen minutes walk away. But I took my sisters there every week and we'd roll around on the grass. We'd climb the apricot tree in the back garden and dream of another life.
I don't remember bad groups of boys in the 1940s in Australia. Times have changed so much since then.

'Children in Nature' groups have formed around America, part of a growing worldwide movement to reconnect children with nature.  Campaigners say children are missing out on opportunities afforded to previous generations, ones as simple as climbing trees or getting their knees dirty.

In an increasingly urbanized, electronic-based, risk-adverse world, the adults of the future are displaying the symptoms of "nature-deficit disorder", a term coined by Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Wood.

A new study from the RSPB (Royal Society for Protection of Birds) suggests that large numbers of children in Britain are missing out on the natural world. The three-year British project found that only 21% of children aged 8-12 were "connected to nature".

They came up with a definition of what "connected to nature" actually means, and then developed a questionnaire with 16 statements designed to assess the level of connection among children. The concept includes these four descriptions of how children feel about nature:


Picturewww.happynews.com
    Empathy for creatures

    Having a sense of oneness with nature

    Having a sense of responsibility for the environment

    Enjoyment of nature

Improving children's natural bond is not only good for the youngsters, it is crucial for the future of nature conservation in the world. This will generate a force that can save nature and stop us living in a world where the environment is declining.

A lack of exposure to the open air under trees, or at the beach with the wind blowing through your hair, could be resulting in more urban dwellers developing allergies and asthma. Finnish scientists say certain bacteria, shown to be beneficial for human health, are found in greater abundance in non-urban surroundings. Research suggests microbiota play an important role in the development and maintenance of the immune system.


Picturewww.woodlandtrust.org.uk
I watched a TV program about Germany a few months ago. Young children are taken to play supervised in the woods all day during their kindergarten years. It seems to me that this is an excellent way for them to explore nature and develop a link with trees, birds and insects. Back in the day (1960s), my children spent a lot of time at the park with friends after school. We'd walk to the beach regularly and pick up rubbish from the steps leading down to the sand. I taught them about how wonderful it was to keep the area clean so we could smell the fresh air and swim in the clean sea. Even as babies, they loved the beach. Karen would pick up thin slices of hardened sand and eat them before I could stop her.

Outside under the trees, listening to the birds and the rustle of autumn leaves, I feel the connection to all living things.



Katherine Hetzel link
10/15/2013 07:29:47 pm

As a child, I used to play in dens made in the hawthorn hedges bordering the fields...ride my bike across the fields to the playground...go fishing in the brook...climb trees...
My own kids don't - partly because the green spaces have been built on so much, and partly because of the fear of being out alone (mine, not theirs). We do try very hard to share in the wonders of nature - we have a tree-house, have grown veg, watch the butterflies and bees, are aware of conservation issues, get dirty and muddy during play... Is it enough? I hope so.
Thought-provoking blog, Francene.

Francene Stanley link
10/15/2013 11:55:57 pm

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. It's tough nowadays with allowing children the freedom to go somewhere unattended.

Bek Mugridge link
10/15/2013 07:38:55 pm

I love this whole post. I grew up in the country and we would often spend all day on weekends and holidays out exploring, enjoying nature, it was an amazing way to grow up.,
I try to take my girls out into nature lots, we go bush walking, find waterfalls, climb mountains, swim in rivers, it is my favourite thing to do with them X

Francene Stanley link
10/15/2013 11:57:27 pm

How great, Bek. Your daughters will benefit so much from the contact with nature and your involvememt with them. So many parents don't spare the time.

Deb link
10/15/2013 08:20:27 pm

I am with you on this one. I think it is incredibly important to be connected to nature. It is a critical part of my work to help people connect to themselves, through their body and integral to this is the body of the earth.

Francene Stanley link
10/15/2013 11:58:54 pm

If only we could help the children who roam unsupervised in urban areas.

Amy link
10/15/2013 10:36:52 pm

I am so with you on this one, Francene, I think God designed us to need to spend time out in nature, and that we are happier if we do it often. And kids are just made to run and jump and skip and examine leaves and so forth, aren't they? Not to sit quietly staring a digital device or t.v.

Francene Stanley link
10/16/2013 03:10:03 am

I know which children are happier. Those watching a butterfly or down on their hands and knees examining a beetle.

Kama link
10/16/2013 07:40:41 pm

I believe that nature plays a vital role in our life journey. Through nature we learn to expand our awareness to another level, we connect with who we are and we feel at peace. I bring nature in to my coaching sessions to help women connect with who they truly are. When my children were little I used to love it when they were outside all day and would return in the afternoon covered in mud and grinning. I knew then that they had really been enjoying life. My children were lucky as they spent most of their childhood in Norway, a country where people embrace the outdoors.


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    Author

    Francene Stanley, author of many published novels. If you like my writing, why not consider purchasing one of my books? You'll see them on the sidebar below.
    Born in Australia, I moved to Britain half way through my long life.

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