We Tend To Block Off

A Widening Circle Of Researchers Believes That The Loss Of Natural Habitat, Or The Disconnection From Nature Even When It Is Available, Has Enormous Implications For Human Health And Child Development. They Say The Quality Of Exposure To Nature Affects Our Health At An Almost Cellular Level.

As The Nature Deficit Grows, Another Emerging Body Of Scientific Evidence Indicates That Direct Exposure To Nature Is Essential For Physical And Emotional Health. For Example, New Studies Suggest That Exposure To Nature May Reduce The Symptoms Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (adhd), And That It Can Improve All Children's Cognitive Abilities And Resistance To Negative Stresses And Depression.

If A Child Never Sees The Stars, Never Has Meaningful Encounters With Other Species, Never Experiences The Richness Of Nature, What Happens To That Child?

Another British Study Discovered That Average Eight-year-olds Were Better Able To Identify Characters From The Japanese Card Trading Game Pokemon Than Native Species In The Community Where They Lived: Pikachu, Metapod, And Wigglytuff Were Names More Familiar To Them Than Otter, Beetle, And Oak Tree.

This Tree House Became Our Galleon, Our Spaceship, Our Fort Apache...ours Was A Learning Tree. Through It We Learned To Trust Ourselves And Our Abilities.