Page 34 - Off Grid East Cost Spring 2017

Teaching
nature appreciation
to your children
By Maika Branch
How you are raised will change who you are as an adult. As a teen, a person just on the edge of growing out of childhood completely, I can see how lucky I was to grow up with two parents interested in self-sustainability and living off grid. But something bothers me; I can’t help but wonder: what about those who weren’t? What about the children who have never set foot in a forest, never gotten close to wildlife the way I have? These children are the leaders of the future, and it is important that they grow to understand what nature provides and the role wild animals play in the world. I believe it is crucial that children are raised to appreciate what we have, and how it’s quickly disappearing. But how? How can you instill that appreciation for the natural world in your children?
Take walks
Go for walks. Encourage them to explore. Discover all the secrets the natural world has to offer. Encounters with animals such as birds and deer can have amazing positive effects on your child. They learn to be soft, quiet, and can witness firsthand the beauty of the wild on expeditions like this. Hopefully, when they grow up, he or she will want to protect the environment so the upcoming generations can also experience it.
Go camping
Another way to encourage your child to love nature is to take them camping. Grab your flashlights, sleeping bags and tents; then head out to spend a night alone in the bush. As a child, I lived for trips like
34 off the grid