Walking Away From Nature?
I have had this fear before. I always feared that with the number of electronic gadgets that are available out there today, that we would see a trend where people, especially the younger generation, would stop going outdoors. I know it sounds crazy, but I can honestly say that I have seen this very phenomenon first hand. Apparently my thoughts weren’t so far-fetched after a report that came out recently from The Nature Conservancy.
Basically this report states that they are seeing a definite downturn worldwide in how many people are participating in outdoor related activities. They not only point at declining hunting numbers, but they also make note that camping is on the decline as well. This is honestly the one activity they are very concerned about because it is normally the outdoor activity that sees the most participation. Oliver Pergams and Patricia Zaradic (the two leaders of the study) in an interview from The Nature Conservancy:
“Camping is the most popular outdoor activity — more popular than fishing and hunting, and much more popular than hiking and backpacking. So a decline in camping reflects the choices of a greater proportion of the American public.”
They have a previous study that shows a per capita decline in national park visits as well.
All of this, to be blunt, disturbs me very much. The thing that really frightens me is how our children will be affected by this trend. Lets forget about wanting to get our kids involved in hunting for a second, and think about the things that this report eludes to. It is not only talking about kids not hunting, but kids not GOING OUTSIDE or participating in outdoor activities. That really concerns me. Without our kids actively participating in outdoor activities, who will help protect those outdoor places and activities that all of us love, and keep them around for future generations? Who will fight for nature in the future? Again from the Nature Conservancy Report:
Stephanie Meeks, acting president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy, noted, “If we lose our connection to the natural world, we’ll lose our appreciation for the food, water, and clean air it provides. And the next generation will feel little compulsion to protect it. We’re facing the most serious environmental threats of our lifetime, particularly in light of the challenges posed by climate change. We need the next generation to both value the natural world in which we live and fight to protect it.”
As bad as this sounds I was not really surprised by the findings of this report. All you have to do is take a look around, especially at the younger people, and it isn’t hard to realize that this report definitely isn’t very far from the truth. In fact it is probably 100% correct. With the advent of video games, movies, ipods, and the like, kids are automatically driven away from the natural world. Parents are a big part of the issue as well. Video games are definitely good “babysitters” and it doesn’t seem, in today’s fast paced world, that anyone can find the time to slow down and appreciate the natural world around them.
My sincere hope is that parents, and anyone who reads this post or looks at The Nature Conservancy report, realizes how important it is that we actively get our kids, as well as ourselves into the outdoors. We need to pass on that love and respect for nature, that a lot of us have, before video games and television take those human needs and desires away from our children.
I know that I have been actively involved in getting the young people I’m in contact with involved in the outdoors, and Jeff has done the same as well. I also know that I will definitely make sure that once I have kids they will be involved in nature too. I would love if they were involved in hunting, but if not my sincere hope is that they have some love of nature. It doesn’t matter if its hiking, camping, mountain biking, or anything similar, just that they get outside. Nature and our planet depend on it!
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My guess would be that cost plays a part in this too. There is less land to tramp and hike than there was when I was growing up. We had access to woods and fields that probably weren’t all that big, but felt like forests to us. So we could go and play anytime we liked. I’m not sure as many kids today have access to those sorts of places.
I visited the town where I grew up about a year ago, and most of our woods were now condo sites. There simply weren’t open spaces anymore.
Amen on getting kids outdoors… Like you said, it doesn’t matter if it is hunting, camping, biking, etc. The most important thing is that they are OUTSIDE enjoying the outdoors, thereby creating a life-long love of it as well as feeling the obligation to protect/manage it.
Very nice post. It seems over the past 10 years or so life is rushed. We seem to never take the time we should to enjoy outdoor activities. It really should be more of a priority for families.
I agree with your points – my sister babysat for a family one summer that asked her to keep the kids inside because it was too hot to play outside (upper 90′s). It was hot – but what happened to playing in the sprinkler and other things like that? We used to play outside no matter what the temperature was – if we got too hot we went in and begged mom for a popsicle then went right back outside. As a family we work on encouraging our kids (mine and the nieces and nephews) to spend time outside and then we take other peoples kids on hunting and fishing trips as often as possible. Kids need to know where food and water come from – they need to see it in person!
Once again you hit the nail on the head Arthur! I know people are having a hard time right now. Gas is expensive, cost of living is high, low job market, ect… But what happened to the adults imagination? you can have a great outside experiance in your backyard! Put up a tent in the yard and have a family campout. Build a small campfire and rost hotdogs and marshmellows, tell stories. I know it’s not the same thing, but it is something and it is a chance to have a great outdoors experiance with the family. Kids will remember that forever!
Very good post. I have a grandson who is (14) and spends a maximum amount of time playing various video games. We have been making a better effort to get him in the outdoors over the past year or so. He got his first deer this fall. Hopefully, we can continue to make in-roads with him as spring comes around and fishing picks up.
Good post Arthur. Jen makes a good point. The outdoors doesn’t have to be the wilderness. It’s just what it says it is: Go OUT your DOORS and have fun!
Nice Post! The only time I really don’t enjoy the outdoors all that much is when you have weather like you guys have had recently. The only time you will hear me telling my kids to stay indoors is when the temp. is -30!