I Am Still Fascinated with Nature

I wrote this the other day, but it’s been haunting me ever since.  I am not quite sure why.  

Today, I watched a recent episode of “Oprah” that was dedicated to the lessons being learned by studying people in the so-called “Blue Zones.”  These Blue Zones are areas where people live into their 100’s with a far greater frequency than most other places on Earth.  These people live a long time, and they are enjoying an incredible quality of life.  That’s what made me think about what I wrote a few days ago…

Children are, by their inquisitive nature, fascinated with nature. I haven’t met a child yet who can’t be cajoled into exploring a tree’s bark or listening to a quick explanation of how the capillaries in a leaf work. It does not take much to engender passion for the environment. Unfortunately, what they observe around them, particularly at home, can undo and quell that passion. Adults kill childhood passions, particularly through careless, irresponsible actions. Fortunately, it works both ways. My kids are little environmentalists because they see us being meticulous recyclers, taking home recyclable material from their grandparent’s home, McDonald’s (WHY ON EARTH don’t they have recycle bins?), and anywhere else where we generate trash and recycling is not available. So, another key component to keeping children in love with the Earth is building the bridge between school and home in an effort to spread the virus. This becomes a larger and larger obstacle depending on which end of the urban socio-economic scale you go.

Why should it be that love of nature is something that we have to fight to keep alive in our children?  I cannot imagine anything more invigorating than living at peace and in harmony with nature.  Isn’t that child still inside all of us?  I am still fascinated with nature.