

Our View: Encourage children to go outside

4:38 PM, Oct. 8, 2012  |  Comments
Karen Knight from the Center for Inland Bays leads kids to enjoy an after-school program at the Bethany Beach Nature Center on Garfield Parkway.

What do our children know about nature? How often do they go outside to see the natural world, to learn how things work, or even to just play?

The answers have to be: "Not much."

Yet these are important questions. They go to the issue of obesity and the epidemic of Type 2 diabetes among young people. They tell us how physically fit our future leaders will be or how productive the workers of tomorrow will turn out.

They also are important questions because they give us an indication of our own mental health. We can learn how stressed we are or how we deal with tensions when we answer them. Playing outside does more than "blow the stink off you," as mothers of long ago used to say. It makes us calmer. Exercise is good, but exercise out of doors, especially in a natural area, is far better.

They are important questions because human societies must stay connected to traditions and relationships or they whither. In some areas, televisions, air conditioning and now computer screens already have helped once-vibrant neighborly connections fade.

The biologist E.O. Wilson suggests there is a bond between humans and nature. He calls it biophilia. It is why we feel refreshed walking in the park. It is why we keep a plant on our worktable or flowers on a desk.

What happens when a society loses that connection?

Richard Louv, author of the book "Last Child in the Woods," says it becomes a world where children are alienated from nature. They will know only humans. They will live in a world where there is no relief from human attention. It is a world where most of their stimulation will be artificial.

We are already partially there. The challenge is how to prevent it from happening completely.

One small step came recently when Delaware issued a task force report on how to get children to learn and play in nature.

Mr. Louv was in Delaware for the kickoff of the effort. The subtitle of his book is "saving our children from nature-deficit disorder." It is harming us all.

He argues that experiencing nature is a human right, especially for children. Delaware is a state well suited to preserve that right. Not far from every home is a piece of nature, a trail to walk on or a park to enjoy. The trouble is getting people to them.

Collin O'Mara, secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, said the task force's report lays out ways to do just that.

The state and the organizations joining with it will be bringing nature lessons into the schools and the children into nature.

The ongoing project of joining trails will enable Delawareans to hike and bike not far from home. Surveys have shown that many of Delaware's parks are popular - with out-of-staters. The task force is seeking ways to get Delawareans in them.

Rita Landgraf, secretary of Health and Social Services, says if we get more children exercising out of doors we will help them become healthier adults. Connecting the nature trails with classroom work will give children hands-on experience and make learning more exciting.

After all, the world is an interesting place.

Mr. Louv said people across the country realize children need to be involved with nature. Some families have formed nature clubs to help young children learn. Businesses are involved because they know it pays off for their workers.

He believes it can work well in Delaware because it is a state on a human scale. People can get things done here.

Secretary Landgraf rightly points that this job is not the government's alone. The challenge is to use all of our resources and our ingenuity.

That's where businesses, clubs, churches and civic organizations come in.

Let's prove Richard Louv right. Let's prove Delaware is the state on a human scale. Get involved.

- The News Journal

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