\u201cI sincerely believe that for the child, and for the parent seeking to guide him, it is not half so important to know as to feel\u201d <\/em> Exploring nature soothes our spirits, stimulates our minds, and even heals our bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nature is not confined to national parks or vast landscapes but thrives outside our doorways. Face the wind, feel the warmth of the sun, bend to smell a flower, finger the soil, pluck and taste a homegrown sugar snap pea. And bring a child along \u2014 not for a lesson but for the sheer joy of being outdoors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Literature about children\u2019s need to be outdoors abounds. A well-known book is \u201cLast Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder,\u201d by Richard Louv. The \u201cwired generation\u201d needs the outdoors, Louv claims, as he links childhood obesity, depression, and attention disorders to a lack of nature experiences. To correct the deficit, Louv avows a Leave No Child Inside Movement<\/em>. Moving from Inside to Outside contributes to the well-being of a child\u2019s development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the book \u201cThe Geography of Childhood: Why Children Need Wild Places\u201d authors Gary Paul Nabhan and Stephen Trimble write: \u201cWilderness\u2026is where you can play with abandon. In a word, playfulness may be the essence of wilderness experience.\u201d<\/em> For a child a \u201cfew intimate places mean more\u201d than all of the \u201cglorious panoramas\u201d adults can show them. It\u2019s the gazing up and kneeling down that guides our relationship with nature. The shifting scene of clouds, the scent of soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adults can be fellow travelers in these outdoor journeys. Don\u2019t share answers. Be a discoverer. Don\u2019t make suggestions. Let nature introduce herself. Be silent but listen well. But if adults want to learn, consult local nature guides so native plants and animals can be the objects of curiosity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Author Patricia K. Lichen has written a trilogy of \u201cUncommon Field Guides\u201d whose subjects range from \u201cRiver-Walking Songbirds\u201d to cattails and dragonflies. For spring reading there is always \u201cRare Encounters with Ordinary Birds\u201d by Seattle author Lyanda Lynn Haupt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In nature nothing is really ordinary; when we pay attention, everything is marvel. How many are your works,<\/p>\n\n\n\n O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.<\/em> – Psalm 104:24<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Rebecca Warren is a member of Montavilla UMC, Portland, Oregon. She serves as the Oregon-Idaho Conference President for United Methodist Women. Her educational background includes a degree in environmental education.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Rebecca Warren shares tips on how to live abundantly healthy through simple outdoor adventures, sharing great lessons and book tips along the way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":21981,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32884,17],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-21980","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-abundant-health","8":"category-oregon-idaho-conference"},"yoast_head":"\n
\u2013 Rachel Carson, author of \u201cThe Sense of Wonder\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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