No Child Without Nature, Really?
No Child Left Inside
Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods put the subject of connecting children to nature in our modern era back on the front burner of people’s mind. This topic is nothing new. At the turn of the last century, people like Anna Botsford Comstock were concerned with industrialization’s increasing isolating effect upon children. Today, the concern is centered on increasing isolation effects of mass consumption of private entertainment technology in kids’ lives. We are spending more and more time in the "built environment."
Now, I do not disagree with this point of view at all (and I may just be writing to hear myself), however, I take issue with one subtle but important philosophical/scientific point. My issue centers simply on how we define "nature." If people’s view of nature is any part of the living world untouched by man, then I think we have a problem. There may not be a single part of the planet not touched by man even if it is indirectly. We have this annoying habit in the West (and the Environmental Movement does this too) of thinking of our "built" world is not apart of the natural world, but this is not the case. If the built environment (and most of the planet consists of built or humanly modified environments) is not "natural" then we are out of luck. I just hope we do not lose sight of the simple truth that mere comprehension, "of the Individual life of the bird, insect or plant that is nearest at hand," is the aim of our efforts here at Cleveland Botanical Garden.
Okay so my rant made something out of nothing. This is a talent of mine.
Posted by Josh Steffen
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