Enjoy area's natural wonders / LJWorld.com

Archive for Saturday, March 15, 2008

By Sandy Beverly

March 15, 2008

A new study shows that participation in outdoor activities is on the decline. Americans are spending less time hiking, fishing, hunting and visiting national parks, and more time playing video games, watching movies and surfing the Web. The authors of the study (published recently in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) worry that this trend will lead to more obesity and less support for conservation efforts. Indeed, some other research suggests that people who spend time in nature, especially as children, are more likely than others to be concerned about protecting the environment.

I care deeply about the health of our planet, so this new research concerns me. I would like to issue a friendly challenge to Lawrence parents: Take your children for a walk in one of Douglas County's beautiful natural areas. Once a month, once a week, whatever is right for your family, forgo a trip to the playground and explore some place a little more wild.

Don't get me wrong; my boys and I spend a lot of time at playgrounds. The swings, the ladders, the slides, the opportunities to observe and interact with other children - these are great for kids. But there's a different kind of outdoor experience to be had where the terrain is more varied, the flora less maintained and the fauna a little more wild.

Early spring is a fabulous time to explore our natural areas. No chiggers, no poison ivy. The birds sound positively noisy after the relative quiet of winter. Some nice trails to consider are those at Prairie Park Nature Center, at the Haskell-Baker Wetlands, at Martin Park (a little-known gem in northwest Lawrence), and behind the Corps of Engineers Visitor Center at Clinton Lake. All of these trails are fairly wide and suitable for little legs.

Don't expect to cover much ground. Young children, especially, will stop to investigate wonders that you and I might not even have noticed. Allow plenty of time so that you don't have to rush. (Take it from me, nothing destroys the magic of a nature walk for all involved more than an adult saying, over and over, "Hurry, we've gotta get back!" In our family, we've finally learned to say at the outset whether we are on a "traveling walk" or an "exploring walk.")

If you'd like a little more inspiration, check out "The Sense of Wonder" from the Lawrence Public Library. Although it's best savored slowly, this 1965 essay by Rachel Carson can be read in 10 minutes. Carson writes beautifully about the joy of sharing nature with her young nephew. Without preaching, she encourages us to do the same with the children in our lives.

It's not about teaching and explaining, Carson writes. Children respond better to our sense of excitement than any nature facts we might share. So all that's required is some time, some enthusiasm and the ability to be receptive, "learning again to use (our) eyes, ears, nostrils and fingertips." Sounds exciting and wonder-full to me! See you in the woods?

Sandy Beverly is the mother of two young boys and a Citizen Journalism Academy fellow.

Discussion

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15 March 2008
at 4:46 a.m.

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Multidisciplinary (Anonymous) says…

“Martin Park (a little-known gem in northwest Lawrence),”

Second only to the Sunset Drive In as “the place most children were conceived without intention”.

Third place goes to Lone Star Lake.
Fourth place would of course be the El Navajo Cabin/Motel.

Hoping to overtake previous winners, Clinton Lake Overlook and Wells Overlook vie for the honors.

Honorable mentions go to:
Jayhawk Towers,
Granada Balcony,
Sanctuary/Stables parking lot,
LHS practice field at night,
LHS theatre dept., before 1980.
LHS Band trips.
Any new housing development once the streets are poured but the street lights aren't in,
Centennial Park (anywhere in days of old)
The vast field between Sunset Hills School and West Jr. High,
Parking lot at the Bird,
Johnny's parking lot,
KU dorm parking, closest to Iowa.
Lake Henry.

Please post your nominees.
15 March 2008
at 9:08 a.m.

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sgb (Sandy Beverly) says…

Well, I did not know this about Martin Park. It's clear that I did not grow up in Lawrence! But, please don't turn this into a discussion about young adult sex. I'd really like to hear reactions to the column… Where do others go to enjoy nature? How else besides walks do you connect with the natural world? Any sweet stories about kids and nature?
15 March 2008
at 1:18 p.m.

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pdecell (Paul Decelles) says…

From my experience as a teacher, the problem is that children do not have as many opportunities for spontaneous play in natural or semi natural areas. Part of this is due to parental concerns about safety but the other part is that the sorts of natural and semi natural areas that used to be close to home-within walking distance have been largely destroyed due to urban sprawl.

I grew up in an area where I could either walk to some wonderful woods for hiking and playing or walk downtown. How many children live in areas in Lawrence where that sort of thing is possible…even if their parents would let them walk?