Television and computers are big factors, but air conditioning deserves some of the blame too, according to Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods. “Not that long ago, the sound track of a young person’s days and nights was composed largely of the notes of nature,” he writes. In 1910, only 12 percent of housing had air conditioning and people “threw open their sash windows and let in the night air and the sound of wind in leaves.” Half of all baby boomers grew up with air-conditioned homes and by 2001 78 percent of homes were sealed and cooled. I imagine the Florida percentage of air-conditioned homes is much higher. While it is easy to let our senses be “electrified,” as Louv says, we owe it to our children to enlighten them with nature.
Let’s recognize Earth Day this weekend by getting outside and exploring all that Florida has to offer. Florida has an amazing collection of state parks. In addition to helping acquire the land for many of these parks, The Nature Conservancy has its own preserves across the state as well. Florida’s water management districts have been setting aside wonderful conservation lands for years. Our counties and cities have provided us with numerous parks and are building their networks annually, often using matching money from Florida Forever, the nation’s top land conservation program.
The Nature Conservancy invites you this year to share your outdoor adventures by uploading your photos to our website www.my.nature.org/earthday , describing your adventures via Facebook and leaving tips for other visitors. We are also co-sponsoring ecoAmerica’s “Leave No Child Inside” campaign, urging 60 million households with young children to make their kids healthier, happier and smarter by getting out into nature.
Let’s recognize Earth Day this weekend by getting outside and exploring all that Florida has to offer. Florida has an amazing collection of state parks. In addition to helping acquire the land for many of these parks, The Nature Conservancy has its own preserves across the state as well. Florida’s water management districts have been setting aside wonderful conservation lands for years. Our counties and cities have provided us with numerous parks and are building their networks annually, often using matching money from Florida Forever, the nation’s top land conservation program.
The Nature Conservancy invites you this year to share your outdoor adventures by uploading your photos to our website www.my.nature.org/earthday , describing your adventures via Facebook and leaving tips for other visitors. We are also co-sponsoring ecoAmerica’s “Leave No Child Inside” campaign, urging 60 million households with young children to make their kids healthier, happier and smarter by getting out into nature.
We often talk about preserving nature for future generations. But preserving nature benefits us today, too. This Earth Day, take your kids or your grandkids out to a park or preserve and let them be kids. Experience the joy of being ignored.
For more information on Florida State Parks go to http://www.floridastateparks.org/