 Trusting
that all life is connected gives our children
meaning in a complex and confusing world. It grounds
them when they feel tossed and battered by external
events. A marvelous and available way to educate
children to the purposes of living things is to
expose them to nature. Earth Day, celebrated on
April 22, is a wonderful occasion to begin.
Children come to us with their senses already
turned on. They explore a caterpillar by touching
it gently against their cheek, trying to find
its eyes, sniffing it to see if it has a smell.
All we need to do is expose them to more of the
great outdoors and encourage their exploration
and "at-oneness" with living creatures.
It all sounds great, but it's not that simple.
As children's days become full of plans, classes,
school, and friendships, they slowly drift away
from their rich relationship with nature. I was
approached during the break of a recent talk I
gave by a mother of three who yearned for her
kids to maintain their connection with the natural
world. She said, "I always took my kids to
the playground, on hikes in the woods, or just
outside to play with the dog. Now there is no
time for them to be outdoors unless it's in organized
sports."
Here are some ways to reinforce children's connections
to nature and the earth:
Create your own Earth Day ritual.
You and your child might write a letter to Mother
Earth, pledging to do one special activity to
help her. If possible, use the back of a piece
of abandoned birch bark or on recycled newsprint.
Take a hike together and find a place in nature
that feels powerful for you, then pause and write
your letter there.
Establish an "I discovered"
event that honors a new nature discovery
made by your child. It can be spotting a bee hive,
a bird's nest, a special constellation, a flower
growing in an odd spot, a wonderfully shaped tree
branch, a snake skin that's been shed. Create
a drawing of the sighting, and display it proudly
on your refrigerator until the next sighting.
Then paste into a scrapbook.
Start an under-the-sink earthworm farm
to compost kitchen waste. It's not hard
to do, and it creates great compost for plants.
It's also a wonderful science fair project and
a way of seeing these creatures as helpful rather
than yucky. A mother shared the following story
about her 5-year-old daughter: "Jessie has
always loved worms. She would bring used coffee
grounds outside and dump them in the soil where
'a worm family could use them.' She even gave
them names and would rescue them when she found
them on sidewalks." For worm-container basics,
visit howtocompost.org.
Plant a tree to replenish the earth.
I recently visited a huge weeping willow my brother
had planted 30 years ago at our old home. I recalled
every detail of that long-ago day and felt a strong
connection with the graceful beauty of that tree.
If tree planting isn't feasible where you live,
consider donating to a tree-planting organization.
Plant-It 2000 is a nonprofit foundation dedicated
to planting, maintaining, and protecting as many
indigenous trees as possible worldwide. Find out
more at Plantit2020.org
Nature restores our sense of peace and allows
us to feel life touching us--it soothes and nourishes
our spirits and sometimes frightens us with its
power. We make this gift available to our children
as we teach them to become respectful of the earth,
to walk with awareness, to recycle, and to leave
no destructive record of their visit. The natural
world is our perpetual, yet ever-changing link
with the universe. God, nature, and child all
share the same space, connected in the powerful
web of life. All parts of the web have importance
and purpose. Celebrate Earth Day as an opportunity
to become reacquainted with our glorious Mother
Earth. You and your child will be blessed by the
effort.
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