“Many children today find it easier to stay indoors and watch television. I worry that children do not know what they are missing. Children cannot love what they do not know. They cannot miss what they have not experienced.”

- Mary Pipher, The Shelter of Each Other

photo credit: bestbib&tucker

As most readers know, I spend a lot of time talking about the many benefits of outdoor play and connecting children (and adults!) with nature.

But one of the benefits that I do not focus on frequently — although I believe to my very core — is its impact on our own behavior toward this beautiful planet we live on.

For children, this time in nature and connecting to its beauty and wonder is essential in helping them grow into caring, educated adults who understand that their individual and voting behaviors impact the planet and all the species that call it home, including their own.

Please take a few minutes to watch this powerful video on the call for a shift in our messaging about conservation efforts.

If you are a parent, grandparent, educator or caregiver, please make time in nature and celebrating its wonders a daily part of the lives of the children in your world. Not to teach them facts or because of a greater agenda, but simply to expose them to the opportunities that are waiting for them — to see, smell, touch, discover and marvel at.

The education will come in due time, but for now, the experience and the joy that awaits them is more than enough.

See ya outside! The Grass Stain Guru

Across the country (and globe!), there is a movement spreading to connect the next generation — the wired generation — with nature. Jolted awake by Last Child In The Woods. people are working to create balance in the lives of the next generation and to instill a love of nature that will carry into adulthood.

From parents making the choice to limit screen time and get their children outside, to educators creating school gardens, to politicians working on legislation at the state and national level. This is a multi-layered, top-down and bottom-up movement that is as important to the planet as it is to the lives of the children involved.

Key players in the movement are the dedicated parks and wildlife refuge staff that work to not only preserve and interpret our public lands, but to spark the curiosity about, and love of nature in others, especially children.

The video below is a great example of  some of the work going on at the stunning Rocky Mountain National Park. This is just one example — there are many, many others.

Are you a part of the movement? If not, WHY not? Get involved — whether it’s making time in your own life to get your family outside, volunteering at a local park, or attending a zoning meeting on development plans in your community. Join the movement to help connect kids — and yourself — with nature.

After all, this blog is about restoring childhood, and saving ourselves in the process.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

“Rivers and rocks and trees have always been talking to us, but we’ve forgotten how to listen.”

~ Michael Roads

BEFORE environmental education or “going green,” comes nature play. Don’t put the cart before the horse. Let children know the wonder of the natural world first and delight in their discoveries. Let them play, climb, dig and enjoy their kids’-eye view before you step in to teach or preach.

As always, let kids be kids. They deserve it.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

TGSG Note:  As you probably know by now, I don’t just believe in playing outdoors, but also in being a good steward of the environment. I am so happy to share this post today and be part of #Tweehive, an international Twitter event to raise awareness about the plight of bees. And besides — bees are really incredible creatures! They get short-changed in the shadow of “sexier” critters like wolves and bald eagles. I say, viva bees! Frolic Friday will return next week (but don’t forget to go outside and play this weekend!) See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

When’s the last time you gave bees a thought? That’s right: BEES. Unless you are a gardener or entomologist, you probably don’t think much about them at all. Sure, we LOVE flowers — getting them for birthdays or Valentine’s Day. We like to have pots of flowers on our porches and see fields full of them when we drive down the highway. Or, how about honey? We love it in our tea or spread on toast, but how often do we think about all the work that went into making it?

Um, without bees –  no flowers or honey. It’s pretty simple math, really.

Or how about food? Do you like eating? A fan of food? Scientists estimate that every 3rd bite of food we eat comes to use via animal pollination — or roughly 80% of crops (Source: Pollinator Partnership). Amazing, isn’t it?! So you see, bees play a big part of our daily rituals and happiness, not to mention feeding us, whether we think about it or not.

Bees, as it turns out, are vitally important to life. So, let’s get excited about helping them out! Like other pollinators, they are in peril, and we need to step up to the plate to protect them.

Here’s a few things you can do:

• Plant a bee-friendly garden in your yard or community garden! Pollinator Partnership has a free downloadable plant guide (by zip code);
• Get educated! Learn more about bees native to North America and why they need our help; and
• Have some fun with the kids with these bee craft & song ideas from DLTK. You’ll have the kids buzzing in no time and help teach them that bees are not to be feared, but celebrated!

And remember, next time someone tells you you’re the bees knees, take it as the highest form of compliment! I know I will.

photo credit: glyn_nelson

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