Growing up Green – Does nature shape who we become?

Looking through my blog posts I realized that within each of them lies an assumption – nature offers us something vital that we can’t get from other places/experiences. Whilst it seems intuitive that nature enriches, and is even essential to our psychological well-being, it’s good to lay things out clearly. It helps us reflect and truly acknowledge the role of nature in our lives.

Reading an interview with Louv (link below), something he pointed out really resonated with me. He credits nature for creating a ‘sense of wonder and awe.’ It’s not always necessary, in my opinion, to reduce experience to scientific measurements, and concepts like wonder and awe hold their own value. It’s no doubt that nature and living things are capable of stirring feelings of awe and delight, feelings that are very different from the enjoyment of going to the arcade or watching a movie. It’s a different kind of sensation and a unique one.

Louv also mentions how nature allows us a place of freedom and exploration. Without man-imposed rules we are able to create our own stories and maximize our creativity. It feeds children’s curiosity and let’s them take the lead. It simultaneously engages all our senses – we see, we smell, we hear, we touch. Well maybe we don’t taste! It evokes strong emotions and forms lasting impressions.

Furthermore, there is a calming effect that nature unequivocally has (incidentally interacting with nature can alleviate symptoms of ADHD). Perhaps it’s the feeling of being part of something bigger. Or maybe it’s the sensation that nature goes on without our interference, and does just fine – in fact it thrives. There is also what people call a spiritual element of nature – one which we can’t manufacture in a lab or create with a microchip.

Poets write about it, photographers capture it, philosophers dwell on it .

What do you think makes interacting with nature such a unique experience?

If you want to check out Louv’s interview yourself click here.

“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit” – Ralph Waldo Emerson (poet)

As promised I did some research and found out about some ways in which Singapore seems to be responding to NDD. This of course is just a preview of noteworthy efforts, and not an exhaustive list. Links are available for more information.

1) Community in Bloom (National Parks Board). Young and old get together to create gardens and beautify their estates. It has been around for around 10 years.

2) The National Geographic Channel Young Explorer Programme. Kids aged 7-10 go on nature trails around Singapore learning about the plants and animals found there.

(via enews.sg)

3) HEAL. A humane education programme for primary schools; it encourages children ‘to understand and appreciate how our planet’s diverse environments, people and animals are all connected, related and interdependent.’ It also focuses on empathy and ‘fosters a culture of caring and sharing.’ 

Do you know about any other ways in which Singapore is tackling NDD? Have you been part of any in the past?

Until the next one!

How can you tell the ocean is friendly?…..It waves! 

It’s important to keep in mind that NDD is not merely a problem on a individual level but for society as a whole. We are all affected by environmental degradation, and society is heading down a dangerous path. Thus, it becomes a responsibility of the state to get involved. What are some ways they can do this?

1) Ensure that there are nature areas which are safe and easily available to the public.

2) Get involved with education reforms.

3) Initiate programs for children to connect with nature, and get involved with conservation efforts.

In my opinion number 1 is by far the most important. Singapore as an island struggles with space. This means something’s gotta give, however, the government must keep in mind the importance of having a green patch to play in.

I am not very familiar with the involvement of the government in areas such as NDD. I’ll put on my research cap and do a future post on what they have been doing!

Until then I just want to share about the No Child Left Inside movement in USA. It was inspired by NDD, and aims to incorporate high quality environmental education into curriculums, as well as extending the classroom to the local environment.

You can read more about it here. It’s reception has been generally positive!

Until the next one!

    Don’t it always seem to go…That you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone; They paved paradise, And put up a parking lot. –  Joni Mitchell, Big Yellow Taxi (song)

I came across an interesting study while researching this post that really caught my attention. The American Institutes for Research looked at the impact of a week-long outdoor education program for at-risk youths. The results were: a 27% increase in mastery of science concepts; better problem solving-skills; enhanced self-esteem; improved conflict resolution; improved relationships with peers; and increased motivation to learn. All this compared to a control group that remained in the classroom and that did not see these results.

This makes salient the fact that NDD should not only be the parent’s problem, but that education systems need to stand up and take note as well.

How can they go about getting involved?

Louv asserts that it is no enough to simply tweak curriculums to include more on the environment; future directions must also work towards widening the definition of the classroom. In Louv’s words, ‘policy-makers must view parks, wildlands, farms and ranches as the new schoolyards.’ This line of thinking is indeed being implemented in different education programs in America.

(via teachingmybabytoread.com)

To illustrate the ways in which education systems can steer children away from NDD, I think it would be good to share about a particular model I came across. This is the EIC model developed by the State Education and Environment Roundtable (‘a cooperative endeavor of education agencies’ covering 16 states). It stands for Environment as an Integrating Context. Its main tenet that is relevant here is using the ‘local natural and community surroundings as the context for learning.’ One teacher involved declares faith in the program, saying that the children are creating memories that last, remembering what they did rather than merely what they learnt. This highlights the difference between simple instruction on environmental topics, and actual contact and integration with it.

For more on this program and its results click here (short overview) or here (official website).

Next up, we look at the societal level…stay tuned!

 Research says Barney should have class outside…           (via pinterest)

Here are some ways to prevent/combat NDD as a parent, taken straight from the man himself – Richard Louv.

1) Encourage camping trips with the family.

2) Go for hikes / nature walks (plenty of places to do that here!).

3) Invent nature games – for example, seeing who can spot the most birds, or pick up the most white-coloured seashells.

4) Plant a garden / grow something with your children.

5) Encourage children to build things with nature – sandcastles, forts, treehouses, huts etc. – the more imaginative the better.

6) Introduce “the green hour” into family life. This is a daily hour of unstructured play and interaction with the natural world. Unstructured play means the children can generate the stimulation and be free to create, rather than following instructions.

Remember that these are not intended as chores, but rather as opportunities to relieve stress. There are just some recommendations but of course the sky is the limit. See if you guys can think of any better ways, or if you remember how you interacted with nature as a child!

(Wee Heng via aspirant.sg)

“What a waste of time I had exploring pulau ubin, my children hated it” – Said no-one. Ever .