If children lose contact with nature they won't fight for it
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/nov/19/children-lose-contact-with-nature?CMP=share_btn_tw
A new report shows that the UK has lost 20% of its breeding birds since 1966: once common species such as willow tits, lesser spotted woodpeckers and turtle doves have all but collapsed; even house sparrows have fallen by two thirds. Ash dieback is just one of many terrifying plant diseases, mostly spread by trade. They now threaten our oaks, pines and chestnuts.
So where are the marches, the occupations, the urgent demands for change? While the surveys show that the great majority would like to see the living planet protected, few are prepared to take action. This, I think, reflects a second environmental crisis: the removal of children from the natural world. The young people we might have expected to lead the defence of nature have less and less to do with it.
I agree. If the next generation don't experience the natural world, they won't have a reason to protect it.
Conservationists in the US are waking up to the same problem - not only with children not experiencing the outdoors, but also with people of colour and their children not experiencing the outdoors.
I've managed to get my teenage son and his friends interested in tramping - we go out for an overnight trip at least once a quarter - usually in the Ashburton Lakes or Arthurs Pass areas. I'm hoping it will install a love of the outdoors that will carry on through university and into later life.
In New Zealand's case I wonder if immigration might also have a comparable effect with whatever's going on with growth of children. How many people migrate to Auckland from overseas, don't experience nor expect much beyond a city life, then become voters? (Genuine question.) Is it a conservation issue. Could and should anything be done about it?
This is a very timely topic with FMC featuring how Health and Safety legislation is preventing schools and organisations from introducing children into the outdoors these days. Except for the high decile schools of course, with their, in some schools' cases, multitude of private lodges and Duke of Edinburgh award schemes going.
Of course this all plays nicely into the hands of the government with their plans to make available what they can for extractive industries e.g. the Stewardship lands.
This is why I'm glad to see the younger folks on the MTB's in the conservation estate. The other day we must have seen at least 20 between View Hill and Black Hill hut. Though last weekend we only saw 1. Lots of day runners though.
This post has been edited by the author on 21 November 2015 at 22:51.
duke of edinburgh seems all task focused, you're working, you're not recreating as much. does that really let kids have the experience of the outdoors they want? does it teach them about conservation? or just go outdoors and perform a task.
We took a group of kids into Mitre as a training exercise for the Duke of Ed tramp they had to do.
We walked in in darkness and out down the river. The tramp that was going to sign off the Duke of Ed was Queen Charlotte walkway. I told them they will be bored on the real trip.
@Izogi I'm interested to hear about that health and safety impact on schools. My children's school runs an end of year activity programme where the kids get to choose what they would like to do. Activities run from basketball, cooking, dj skills to mountain biking at Hanmer for a few days, rock climbing at Castle Hill (and walking through the cave at Broken River), and multi-day tramps (my son camped near the summit of Mount Somers). And its a normal state high school.
@Geeves I've never walked the Queen Charlotte but have heard that its fairly easy. Seems like a strange choice for the final trip.
I was at Pinnacle Hut (Mount Somers) a couple of years ago when a group of teenagers arrived who were doing their DoE. Don't know if it was the final one - some of their Dads were along, but the teenagers had to sort out everything themselves, as if the parents weren't there.
@Honora I think you are right. The rise in MTBers will help get kids into the outdoors - either for day rides or overnighters. Especially when there are good huts at the end of good tracks. Packhorse Hut, Double Hut and Manuka Hut come to mind. Haven't been to Wharfedale Hut yet, but an MTB friend has.
QueenCharlot is a common choice for Wellington DofE participants. I think they have to organise 2 forms of transport to get to the walk and from here thats Ferry and bus Job done
Apart from the growth in MTB among young people, and the increase in dual use tracks to huts for bike packing, is there anything else that should be done to encourage young people into the outdoors - either for day walks or longer?
We had no school camps or outdoor education after year 8. I loved school camp at primary school!
Re Duke of Ed, I think the requirements for tramps are primarily length - hence Queen Charlotte is long enough for the higher awards. I don't recall the difficulty of the tramp coming into it at all
