Nature lessons

"In the end we will conserve only what we love. We love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught." —Baba Dioum

As a parent, one of my biggest struggles has been deciding how to teach Maia about the state of our environment. As adults, we can’t simply present kids with a wounded planet and expect them to have the ability to manage the situation. When children are introduced to the reality of extinction and climate change too quickly or at too young an age they can become panicked or cynical.

Most of us want our children to feel hopeful about the future, but with dire messages coming from the media, the Internet and our communities, children need the opportunity to step back and learn to love the natural world—before they are confronted by the need to save it.

When Maia was two-and-a-half we visited a zoo. She liked many of the animals but she was awed by a gorilla family at play. She asked me to tell her about them. Being the truthful type, I launched into an honest, no holds tale of the status of the gorilla: endangered. My tiny daughter asked a few mystified questions then turned back to the gorillas.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I would have taken care of you.”

Instantly I realized I had done it wrong. Maia didn’t need to be introduced to a wounded planet before her third birthday. She needed to be shown its joy and beauty. She needed the opportunity to celebrate and explore. Then, if I have taught her well, she may care enough—and know enough—to make a difference.


 

Learn to love the planet, then think about saving it

I had planned to save the world before having children. I failed to follow through and everyday the evening news brings yet another story of environmental doom.

Somehow as a parent I’m supposed to navigate Maia through this tragedy. So I began to avoid anything that could damage her trust in our planet—from those beautiful picture books and videos that talked about endangered animals to conversations about conservation with friends, where a well-meaning comment could end up frightening her.

Even Maia’s much loved organic Panda Puffs troubled me. I worried about the presence of this politically correct breakfast cereal on our table each morning. When would Maia ask about the status of the panda? When she did, I planned to tell her what a beautiful animal it is, but not mention that it’s also endangered. It felt dishonest, but the memory of her small slumped shoulders stayed so fresh.

When I thought I might be overreacting in my quest to shelter Maia, I began searching my own memories of childhood. I was immersed in nature as a child. I was small when I learned to distinguish between the footprints of deer, cougars, wolves, raccoons and bears. I remember holding my breath, in wonder and fear, when footprint trackings led me to the base of a cliff where a cougar was sleeping on a ledge.

Then, with my mother at my side, I marveled at our formerly sleepy stream, now boiling with red-backed salmon. I questioned nature, stood in awe of nature, and with my entire soul, I learned to love nature. I don’t ever remember being asked to doubt the vitality of an ecosystem.

In bypassing the tragedy and focusing on the beauty, I was unknowingly following the lead of environmentalists like Rachel Carson and David Sobel. “If we want children to flourish, to really feel empowered, let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it.” Sobel’s words in Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the Heart in Nature Education were the first to support my protective instincts.


 

How to teach conservation to children at every age

I discovered that there are ways to teach kids about nature in a gentle way:


 

Ages 3–5

Preschool-aged children learn to care about their environment best simply by experiencing it. They develop empathy by using their imaginations and through play. Through stories and games outside they can be encouraged to see, feel and ask questions as they explore the world around them.


 

Ages 5–9

Five to nine is the time for deep exploration—exploring the home, community and beyond. Staff at the Vancouver Aquarium suggest parents ask thought-provoking questions while exploring with their children. Questions like: “Why is this species endangered?” or “What do you feel when you look into this animal’s eyes?” encourage children to think about animals and their connection to them, and inspire kids to feel like part of the natural world and develop a personal responsibility for it.


 

Ages 9–12

Nine to twelve is a great time to start on the messages of social action and provide opportunities to participate in conservation. Children at this age are exposed to so much negative information that it is important that they be exposed to positive, inspired people who love nature. Local environmental groups often run stewardship programs that focus on repairing one area of the environment or the habitat of an endangered animal. These programs give kids the opportunity to build skills and see the positive effects of their actions. The emphasis should still be on fun, but the discovery that one person can make a difference is powerful.

I realize our best hope for the future is to raise children who feel connected to the natural world and empowered to take action. Admitting that as adults we don’t have all the answers allows us to engage our kids as partners while together we search for solutions.


 

What experiences have you and your kids shared that helped you learn about conservation together?