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A Nature Treasure Hunt
Some time ago my family and I took a stroll through Montgomery Woods in Central Northern California, home of the giant standing ones—the majestic natural skyscrapers called Redwood trees—that stretched so far up into the atmosphere that you couldn’t make out their tops. It was as if they were standing on their tiptoes to reach the heavens, always striving to be closer to God, but rooted deeply into Earth Mother. There were children with us, ranging from grandchildren to stepdaughters to nephews and nieces, plus a sprinkling of adults including Jesseca, my daughter Catherine and her husband Rob, who had guided us to these woods.
It was definitely a way of being with the natural world, and the children all natural-ly took up exploring the plants, trees, and rocks. When we got the photographs back, there was one where a few of us were standing in one of the cavernous hollows of a particular tree and dozens of spirit orbs were circling around and inside with us. These translucent orbs have shown up mainly since digital photography has dominated, and in spite of various “scientific” explanations, it’s clear that Spirit is showing itself to us through these images.
Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods coined the term “nature deficit disorder” to describe the increasing alienation that children—and many adults—are experiencing in this increasingly technologically dominated world. In an article about this book he goes on to say
. . . new studies demonstrate just how important direct contact with the outdoors is to healthy human development. Most of the new evidence that connects nature to well-being and restoration has focused on adults, but during the past decade, scientists have begun to study the impact of nearby nature on child development. Environmental psychologists reported in 2003 that nature in or around the home, or simply a room with a view of a natural landscape, helped protect the psychological well-being of the children.
Researchers have found that children with disabilities gain enhanced body image and positive behavior changes through direct interaction with nature. Studies of outdoor- education programs geared toward troubled youth — especially those diagnosed with mental-health problems — show a clear therapeutic value. Some of the most intriguing studies are being done by the Human-Environment Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois, where researchers have discovered that children as young as five showed a significant reduction in the symptoms of Attention-Deficit Disorder when they engaged with nature. Could nature therapy be a new option for ADD treatment?”
One simple way to encourage children to explore nature is to organize a nature treasure hunt as described by the Nature Conservancy. Be sure to emphasize that they take their time. If you can, do this in the woods, but if not, a beach or a park can serve the purpose. It not only helps them enjoy and appreciate the natural world, but it can be an opportunity to work together. You can even make teams with enough children. Here are the ten items that are on the list:
1. Find something round. Rocks are great, but there are other possibilities.
2. Jump like a frog, growl like a bear and flap your wings like a bird. I dare you.
3. What’s the smoothest thing you can find? Maybe rocks? Maybe something else. How about other textures? What do they feel like?
4. Discover evidence that an animal has been here. Fur, feather, poop.
5. Find something that smells good or bad. Great opportunity to use an underutilized sense.
6. Listen for a bird. Pause a few minutes and be real quiet. Listen for other things as well.
7. Find a place where an animal would be happy. Under a tree, behind a rock, in a cavern.
8. How many different colors can you find? Notice the subtle variations in the colors.
9. Dig in the ground with your hand or flip over a rock or log. Nice chance to get your fingers and/or toes in the dirt.
10. Find something that moves. Again pause and just observe what around you moves as you stay still.
The participants may wish to take a note pad with them or just remember the ten items. The main idea with this is to simply have fun. Try it out and see how it feels to you.
