reward our wonderings with myriad awe-inspiring discoveries . Children are expert when it comes to the practice of beginner ’ s mind . The attitude of openness , curiosity , and a willingness to be delighted and surprised are second nature to the child . The fewer the preconceptions we bring with us into nature , the more receptive we are to learning , insight , and even joy . In the words of E . O . Wilson , American biologist and naturalist : “ When you have seen one ant , one bird , one tree , you have not seen them all .” Just as it is possible to miss the forest for the trees , it is possible to miss the trees for the forest . Our earliest experiences in nature most often begin with observations of minutia and there is nothing superfluous or trivial about nature ’ s wee things . It is in the small particulars that much of the wonder of nature resides . Consider the marvelousness of a monarch butterfly ’ s wing , or the improbable hue of a robin ’ s egg . Imagine the intricate silk latticework of an Orb-weaver spider ’ s web or the tiny saw teeth around the edge of a Slippery Elm leaf . Just imagine .
The faculty of imagining is the creative act of inventing ideas , images , and concepts of what is not actually present to the senses . It is through imagining that we expand our understanding of others and the world around us . Imagination is the means by which empathy is made possible . Empathy is our capacity to imagine another ’ s state of mind and emotions and to understand what they mean to that person . When we empathize , we feel with another , which enhances our ability to communicate , facilitate change , promote healing and understanding , and to form resilient relationships .
Nature is also a powerful mirror and presence for learning empathy , particularly as we embark on the adventure of discovering what it is to be human , in relationship with other human beings and with the natural world around us . As we become increasingly aware and observant of the natural world , we begin to see in it a living reflection of ourselves and our own human nature in all of its vast complexity and fundamental simplicity . It is in nature ’ s reflection that our sense of separation and being “ other than ” diminishes and we come to know and experience nature as an integral part of ourselves and our lives . It is this affinity that leads us back to nature throughout the course of our lives ; it is the wellspring and sacred place where we go to lose ourselves and to find ourselves , again and again .
The parental and adult presence and guidance , which are so fundamental and beneficial to the child ’ s early ventures into nature , can become inhibiting and limiting as he or she enters into adolescence and young adulthood . Much has been made of “ nature-deficit disorder ” and the enormity of what is lost to the individual and to society when children grow up plugged-in and indoors bound . But the call to “ get our children back to nature ” does not imply nature-as-learning-lab field trips , with an emphasis on achievement and goal-oriented activity . The tendency to over-schedule and over-manage the young person ’ s time comes , in part , from the fear and trepidation many parents feel over the possibility of mishap , and worse . Few parents are immune to the threat of “ stranger danger ” and media coverage of child abduction and harm greatly influences and exacerbates those fears . And yet , the number of children taken by strangers or slight acquaintances represents one-hundredth of one percent of all missing children , meaning that the other 99.99 percent are taken by family and friends .
Letting go of fear and the restrictive effects of media-generated reportage of cautionary tales may be an act requiring some courage — but is also a loving and freeing act . There is much that is invaluable to be gained and learned through open-ended experiences in nature and parents and other adults need , at some point , to give youth some breathing room . Room enough to wander unsupervised and freedom enough to invent their own narratives and activities , to choose their own challenges and risks . Otherwise , we might as well add “ hearing-deficit disorder ,” ( due to the constant noise of helicopter blades hovering over our children ’ s heads ) to the diagnostic list of potential hazards and disorders . Helicopter parenting is an anxiety-based parenting style that models mistrust and thwarts the young person ’ s sense of autonomy .
Elements of danger and risk are imperative to the young person ’ s experience of nature . Without potential for harm , there can be no development of risk-assessment or experience of high-stakes challenge and decision-making that build self-confidence and independence . The natural environment loses much of its power to compel and instruct when it is child-proofed and rendered non-threatening . Young people are drawn to that which they perceive as being powerful — and power implies the capacity to exert an effect , and a force to be reckoned with . Respect for nature is a healthy and appropriate
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