8
to have reverence
…
for the natural world.
To have reverence for the natural world is to
affirm life. To care for a plant, to appreciate
the change of seasons, to marvel at a
butterfly is to be also connected to what
is open and free within ourselves. Through
contact with nature, and with growing
awareness of the interconnectedness of life,
we come to know respect in its purest form.
Today, as we find ourselves increasingly
in relation to manufactured products and
pastimes, we need to help children cultivate
a relationship with the out-of-doors.
“In every walk with nature one receives far more than
he seeks.”
—John Muir
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find
reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”
—Rachel Carson