How often do your children (or did you) play adventurously in the wild? In a new book -- 'Last Child in the Woods' -- the author Richard Louv argues that today's children suffer from "nature deficit disorder" because they are cosseted and no longer spend time outdoors exploring. If they did do this he believes that they would be more confident, more competent physically and mentally, and less sedentary and therefore less obese (as described in the review by Margaret Stead in the Guardian Weekly). She goes on to say, "perhaps a sense of solitude -- of being alone with the 'self' -- is the key to the development of a creative imagination."
I am very thankful that I did have this experience as a child, and I have absolutely no doubt that it taught me how to enter that place where dreams happen, and to find a quietness there. At the same time it generated in me a love and respect for the natural environment. Such experiences in childhood remain with you forever. If everyone could have some sort of similar experience as a child would we see less abuse of that environment that we need to give us life?
Hi David,
ReplyDeleteI think we 'forget' our idea of, and ideas about nature as we grow up. We have to learn these things again and in some cases repeatedly. I know this from my own experiences and from watching my friends and family overseas.
Having said that, I remain amazed that NZ twenty-somethings can name so many types of bird, NZers know significantly more about flora and fauna than many of their European counterparts. This knowledge of Flora and Fauna needs to be preserved and I think that from that, the knowledge and understanding of their fragility (due to mans habits) can be more fully grasped. A sense of place and knowledge of place is important - in my opinion the reaction to local flora and fauna disappearing due to mass consumption is far more tangible to a school child (and adult for that matter) than the impact of consumption on an overseas country.
Cheers.