Have you ever taken the time to notice all the beauty that exists in our natural world? Like most people in our society, I find myself busily distracted with all the thoughts and motions of daily life in a fast-paced, indoor-lived modern world. Maybe you are like that too. It seems that as our society has advanced technologically, we have become less in touch with our natural world. We fill our time with activities and tasks to be accomplished that we leave little or no time to observe the physical world around us. Our lack of attention to the natural world is evident in the troubled state of our planet and its resources, and in how humanity has played, and continues to play, an impacting role in effecting that condition. Recently, I saw a short television video describing a program designed to teach young people about the environment by getting them outdoors and providing them with ecological experiences. One statistic presented in the video was interesting and eye-opening. It stated that whereas most young people could recognize the logos of about 200 companies or their products, they could not name or recognize common plants indigenous to their surroundings. In this sense our society is out of touch, unaware of the treasures around us.
I’d like to share a website and a video I discovered that both illustrate and illuminate our need to reconnect with nature. The website is from an organization called Children & Nature Network: www.childrenandnature.org. The video is called Richard Louv on Last Child in the Woods, and is a brief overview of author and 2008 Audubon Award Medal recipient Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. It’s a 5-minute video that will spur your thought. It is short, relaxing to watch, and may have you considering your own need to connect with nature. I haven’t read Richard Louv’s book yet, but I plan to. I’ve created a link for the book website if you would like to check it out. Just click on the book title.
Here are some of my own photos of natural beauty that I have encountered. They were taken while hiking through the gorges and waterfalls of Watkins Glen State Park in Watkins Glen, New York. Click on the photos to enlarge. Enjoy!
Simple Pleasures 