Nature Deficit Disorder - Are Children Not Getting Outside Enough?

A growing number of children's advocates and political leaders are worried that our culture's disconnection from nature is harming kids. This lack of contact with nature may be leading to some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as the rises in obesity, attention disorders and depression.

Concerns about the long-term consequences on children’s physical and emotional well-being have spawned a national movement to "leave no child inside."

This show from KQED's Quest from May 2008 takes a look at Nature Deficit Disorder.




The Children & Nature Network

The vision and mission of the Children & Nature Network is to give every child in every community a wide range of opportunities to experience nature directly, reconnecting our children with nature's joys and lessons, its profound physical and mental bounty.

The Children & Nature Network (C&NN) was created to encourage and support the people and organizations working to reconnect children with nature. The network provides a critical link between researchers and individuals, educators and organizations dedicated to children's health and well-being. C&NN also promotes fundamental institutional change and provides resources for sharing information, strategic initiatives and success stories.

More see Nature Deficit Disorder - Leave No Child Inside.

Green Visiting - The Monterey Bay Aquarium

In June we took the girls to one of their favorite places to visit, the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Not only is the Aquarium a fun place to visit, it is a great way to teach children first hand about nature, the sea, sea life and the environment.

A visit to the aquarium is also a great way to teach them be more nature aware and develop a concern for the environment and for animals.

My daughters never seem to tire of visiting all of the different exhibits. This year they were finally old enough to sit through several of their educational programs, All about Otters, The Deep and another about the Jellies.

The Aquarium offers a variety of different programs that are fun, entertaining and educational teaching about the many different inhabitants of the aquarium and the deep ocean.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium also hosts a variety of different hands on programs are available for children and adults to experience the aquarium creatures up close and personal like getting to touch a sea anemone or a crab.

Conservation Message
The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is to "Inspire Conservation of the Oceans.

In addition to inspiring conservation of the oceans, the Aquarium is deeply committed to minimizing their environmental impact and to conducting business operations in ways that reflect and advance their conservation mission.

Staff members are encouraged to carpool, bike or ride the bus to work. The Aquarium only uses recycled paper for printing and photocopying.

Visitors are encouraged to minimize the use of water and paper products when using the restrooms, to dine on sustainable seafood resources and eat from recyclable containers. This simple conservation messages is displayed on every paper towel dispenser in the restrooms:

Paper Towels = Trees

Which makes you think twice about grabbing that second paper towel.

Learning Resources
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a living learning institution. In addition to offering resources for those who can make it to the Aquarium they also offer online information and educational newsletters for teachers who may not be able to easily travel with their classes to Monterey.

You can learn more about the Monterey Bay Aquarium as a Teaching Resource or just get a glimpse at many of the different exhibits, more information and at least a virtual trip at the Monterey Bay Aquarium lens if it is too far to travel.

Image Source: Josh Berglund. Tropical Menagerie. Creative Commons License. Some Rights Reserved.

Love Planet Earth - Lift Your Spirits

This special video gift from the makers of "The Secret" came through my email box from several sources. It is an amazing and inspiring reminder of how incredible the planet that we live on really is. I wrote this short quote as I watched the video clip.

The Awe
The Beauty
The Magnificence
The Majesty
The Splendor
The Timelessness
The Wonder

That is the Planet Earth.

Kirsti A. Dyer

The clip was created to lift your spirits and in turn lift the global spirit of the planet earth.

The producers of the the Video included this message about Planet Earth:

When you experience Planet Earth, you will emit positive forces of energy across Planet Earth that will reach every single living thing on it.

You will lift yourself, and as you lift yourself, you lift the entire world.

You can also download the video at the Secret website and view it full screen on your computer.

May you be reminded of the beauty and the wonder that is the planet earth.
May your spirits be lifted as you view this video.

Heal Green - Nature's Healing Forces

Nature is always lovely,
invincible,
glad.
Whatever is done
and suffered by her creatures.
All scars she heals,
whether in rocks or water
or sky or hearts.

John Muir

I am always a bit in awe when I walk around in nature and see the clear examples of struggle, of damage and of survival. Examples of perseverance despite setbacks and damage abound.

Nature has strong regenerative capabilities to heal damage caused by fire, lightening, flood, earthquakes or blights. Looking closely amidst the ruins of fire or flood affected areas one can find signs of new growth and new life.

Bernie Segal, MD reminds us how much we can learn from nature.

If you watch how nature deals with adversity, continually renewing itself, you can’t help but learn.

Nature can be a powerful ally and role model for those facing challenge and adversity, demonstrating the ability to survive despite strong forces that challenge her.

Excerpt from Dyer KA. 2001. Part 1: The Healing Qualities of Nature. Journey of Hearts.

Image Source. © 2000. Injured Tree. Kirsti A. Dyer

Love Green and Share Green on May Day

Having children help in picking flowers and then giving flower baskets for May Day is a great tradition to share with our children, to help them appreciate nature.

The May Day traditions my mother shared with me from her native Finland sound similar to those celebrated by other Europeans.

May Day Traditions
May Day was celebrated by early European settlers of the American continent by making and giving May Day Baskets.

These baskets are small and usually filled with flowers or treats and left at someone's doorstep. When you ring the bell, you are supposed to run away. The person receiving the basket would try to catch the person running away. If they caught the person, a kiss was to be exchanged.

May Day Craft Ideas
In addition to picking your own basked of May Day Flowers, here are a few other May Day Basket ideas.

• Crafty Bug has a beautiful May Day Project.
• The Toy Maker has several printable Flower Baskets that would make great May Day Baskets.
  
• Making Friends Website has a May Day Basket Craft Idea.

Source: Wikipedia. May Day.
Image Source: Modified Microsoft Image.

Save Our State Parks Program

I've spent a lot of time hiking and enjoying the many State and National Parks in California. Understandably, I am quite concerned about the upcoming proposed budget cuts set to impact many of our State Parks later this summer.

The Background

On January 10th, Governor Schwarzenegger released the proposed FY 08-09 state budget which severely impacts the California State Parks and State Beaches.

To cut costs, the budget proposed closing 48 state parks and to reduce lifeguard staffing on 16 state beaches. You can view the list here, see a map here, or watch the list in this YouTube Video of Parks scheduled for Closure.



5 Things Individuals Can Do

If you are concerned about the State Park Closures, you can get involved by supporting the Save Our Parks Program. There are several steps you can take:.

1. Contact your legislators. Tell them to oppose any park closures.

2. Write a letter to the editor to your local paper.

3. Involve others in the campaign to save our state parks.

4. Share your story about enjoying California's state parks.

5. Visit A State Park. (this will open the official State Parks website)

Send an E-Card

One more thing you can do is to send an E-card to your friends and family and get them involved in the Save Our State Parks Program. Send an E-Card to your Friends and Family

This image (one of the e-Cards) is from Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve near Guerneville is scheduled from closure. It one of the beautiful places that I've visited with my husband and would still like to be able to take my daughters to see.

You can learn more about Armstrong Redwoods by watching the YouTube Video to Save Armstrong Redwoods.

About Save Our State Parks Program
The Save Our State Parks Campaign is a project of the California State Parks Foundation.

National Junior Ranger Program

We took our daughters to Yosemite on April 26 to participate in the National Junior Ranger Day Program where they explored, learned and protected.

The National Program included one-hour-long ranger-led program that took the kids through demonstrations of four different neighborhoods.

Almost on cue from the Park Ranger, we had the unusual experience of seeing a Mother Brown Bear and her two cubs casually eating berries. The National Park Service wildlife biologists were on-hand with lots of interesting bear-related information and equipment. All of the children got to climb into a bear trap.

The second half was a fun work service project where the children learned more about park restoration efforts. They helped dig out some of the 'weeds' or non-native species, in this case the Vinca plant.

When they were done the children all got to participate in a swearing in ceremony receiving patches, badges and signing the official National Park Junior Ranger book.

Raising Green Kids

The National Junior Ranger Program was a great way to get everyone outside, to get the girls to learn more about the environment and to let them have first-hand experience with park restoration efforts and encouraging them to become Green Kids.

More on the National Junior Ranger Program

You can find out more about the National Junior Ranger Program including which National Parks offer Junior Ranger Programs at the National Park site below.

National Junior Ranger Program.

Yosemite Junior Rangers

In Yosemite, children can become a Yosemite Junior Ranger at any time by purchasing a self-guided booklet published by the Yosemite Association and completing the designated activities.

In order to earn a Junior Ranger patch, the booklet must be completed, a bag of trash collected and a guided program attended.

This booklet is sold at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, Nature Center at Happy Isles (May through September), and Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center (June through September), and Wawona and Big Oak Flat Information Stations (May through September).

More on Yosemite Junior Rangers:

You can find out more about the Yosemite Junior Ranger Program at the Yosemite National Park site link below.

Yosemite's National Junior Ranger Program.

Featured on Live Green Ordie Directory

My Green Doc Blog has been included in the Live Green Ordie Directory a collection of websites that encourages people to learn how to live green.

Livegreenordie.com is a free service offered to individuals and communities with green related website content. Visitors can search over 500 green related websites and learn how to live green.

We are currently featured under the Newest Sites or your can visit our listing directly.

Nature Appreciation, Awareness and a Continuous Source of Inspiration

Nature has been for me,
for as long as I remember,
a source of solace,
inspiration,
adventure, and delight;
a home,
a teacher,
a companion.

Lorraine Anderson

I have to agree with Lorraine Anderson's descriptive quotes of all of the many benefits one receives from being out in nature. Nature is a constant force and a constant source of inspiration and healing.

Nature is a friend, a teacher, a companion during times of sorrow and times of joy; it has been one of the constant forces in my life, many times working in the background even as I was unaware.

Nature Appreciation, Nature Awareness & Nature Inspiration

Nature Appreciation is taking the time to enjoy or appreciate being outdoors in nature. One can appreciate Nature as easily as taking time to smell the roses, meditating on a mountain, lying in a wildflower field, strolling by a meandering stream, or hiking in ancient redwood groves.

Nature Awareness, as I use the term, is the realization of what has been known for centuries--that there is a healing quality to nature. Nature can be used as therapy or as a therapeutic modality to help people coping with challenges or dealing with loss.

Nature Inspiration is being inspired by being in the outdoors. Whether to create art, to write, to draw, to paint, to photograph or just to revel in the quietness and the beauty that is Mother Nature.

Never Failing Nature

Remember what Frank Lloyd Wright had to say about Nature.

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature.
It will never fail you.

More Information:
Dyer KA. 2007. Nature Therapy - Therapeutic Walking or Hiking - Green Therapy. Squidoo.com
Dyer KA. 2001. Part 1: The Healing Qualities of Nature. Journey of Hearts.
Dyer KA. 2001. Part 2: Coping with Loss Using Nature. Journey of Hearts.

Photo Source: © Kirsti A. Dyer. Aspen Road.