If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in. – Rachel Carson
Silent Spring author and biologist Rachel Carson understood the importance of every child having a caring adult take him/her by the hand and share the wonder of nature. For the first time in history, we have the majority of an entire generation of young adults who have NOT grown up outdoors playing in the woods and streams, catching fireflies in a jar, fishing and hunting, and watching the stars. This disconnect from nature is wreaking havoc in the form of obesity, disease, attention deficit disorders, and mental illness, not to mention growing a generation of citizens who do not appreciate or understand how nature provides resources and services that help humans exist on the planet and therefore do not know to vote and organize to protect it.
To help remedy this disconnect and get more children outdoors, the NC Museum of Natural Science and cooperating partners declared September 24 – 30 as National “Take a Child Outside Week”. The CREW Trust challenges its members and the public to take up the challenge and take a child outside this week – or anytime! You can pledge and record your activity on their website. And we encourage you to tell us about it here or post it to the CREW Facebook page.
Go on! Find your favorite kid. Take her outside. Play, walk, find bugs, go fish. Enjoy the moments. Build a sense of wonder. And create a better world.