Wow, am I ever inspired. I really enjoyed participating in the Children in Nature Network Summit in Vancouver this week. It was so cool to see what other like minded people are doing to share their passion for the Earth and to spread Education for Sustainability around the world. Richard Louv was a keynote speaker the day I attended and he told some very emotional stories. One thing that he said will really stick with me is how depressing the work is for many conservation biologists as they continue to watch species at risk lists grow and extinction rates rise. He spoke to our audience full of educators and said that our work helps to conserve the conservationists. We inspire the youth to take care of nature which will hopefully make conservationists work a bit easier. He also spoke about the book he is currently working on which examines our relationships with animals. He said there are two habitats to consider and take care of in our lives, the habitats outdoors and the habitats of the heart. Both are endangered and if one goes, the other goes. He says that we need other species in way that we don’t understand. We are living together; we are not alone. He argues that the green space and/or parks that are the most biodiverse hold the most value to hearts.
Louv finished off by stating that our greatest barrier is despair. We have to paint a picture of a place people want to live in; that must be our social movement…nature is a happy cause.
Now that I am a parent, I see my daughter’s love for nature, her curiosity, her happy interactions, her wonder. I do feel inspired and motivated to nurture this for her and others to offer opportunities to spend time in nature as much as possible. Once we arrive, nature is the teacher, we just need to get there….
These photos are from our glorious backyard. Anneli was enjoying her snack while ensuring she dined with a new friend, her friend the baby slug, which she brought up on the table to sit beside her on a leaf with some dirt. Why shouldn’t he have a snack too and some company? Then she begged that we go for a hike to the waterfall. Nature is a happy cause.
