conundrum
we talk about environmental awareness but most of our kids' interaction with nature is through man-made manicured spaces. we're expecting our children to eventually inherit and care for national parks and wildlife reserves, but the unspoken message is that nature is Not Safe and that manmade areas are superior. how will kids really have an idea
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Looking back, I had a pretty environmentally-aware childhood. Camping through scouts and with family, activities with a local group concerned with preserving awareness of local flora and fauna and getting kids interested in nature, days long camp via my middle school to a woodsy place! I really only remember one thing from that camp (aside from communal showers!) and that was the nighttime nature walk we did, where we had to be careful to avoid looking at manmade lights so our eyes would adjust to the dark properly and then we went out on the trail to a field animals frequented, hushed by the guide who whispered to us about the animals that were out there and we could just see them by the glints of their eyes, by the movements of shadows against shadows. The whole walk was kind of scary and wonderful. That's the sort of experience more people should have.
Even if my experiences with nature have been within safer boundary lines, I still think they helped shape me into someone who values nature intrinsically. I mean, I live in a big city now and I plan never to go camping again, but I still like nature and think we should have a bunch. I wish I could put into words why I value wild spaces and think these are worth having and protecting. Perhaps just because the wild is scary and wonderful. Awe-inspiring. I dunno. Brain tired. Back to homework.
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