RICHMOND —
One of the things I love about the extension office is that we look within our communities and design programs that would help meet a particular need.
For example, Kentucky is among the top five for childhood obesity. So 4-H and the FSNE program assistants designed an after-school program to help deliver a six-week course for elementary-age students about nutrition and physical activities.
To help us come up with these needs, each program area has a board of volunteers who help steer the programs. The program list developed for Madison County is designed to meet the needs of our community as it continues to grow.
In this article, I want to discuss “Nature Deficient Disorder.”
The phrase was famous by Richard Louv, author of “The Last Child in the Woods.”
His book describes children who deprived by our society’s departure from the enjoyments of nature. Instead of engaging in nature, children sit in front of TVs, computers, electronic games and other devices.
This separation from nature is directly linked, Louv believes, to increased rates of attention-deficit hyperactivity-disorder (ADHD) and childhood obesity, lack of creativity and curiosity, loss of respect for nature and the living world, and a diminishing sense of community.
Even if I don’t fully buy into all the linkages that Louv cites, the issue is still difficult to dismiss.
It is hard to deny that children are spending less time outdoors. I can remember growing up in the hollers of West Virginia, spending an entire day in the woods. It was almost a punishment to come inside.
Those woods were our everyday adventure. We didn’t need Xbox 360s or Nintendo Wii, we just needed BB guns, an imagination and bad guys to shoot at (as a shooting sports coach I feel it is necessary to inform you that I never aimed my BB gun at anyone – besides my older brother – just kidding.”
There was not a tree on our five-acres that hadn’t been climbed, a rock that hadn’t been overturned, a creek that hadn’t been explored, or an animal that hadn’t been tracked.
My brothers and I were kings, warriors, trackers, explorers and ninjas of the woods surrounding our house. Those experiences nourished my love for nature.
My childhood experiences drive me to lead children in the experience of nature. To do this, I have tried to find creative ways to educate students while they are in the classrooms.
One of my favorite subjects to teach is wildlife identification. I bring a huge tote into the classrooms filled with replica skulls, furs, claws, tracks and even scat.
I let the students touch and hold these objects so they can get up close and personal with nature they may otherwise never experience.
Selfishly, my favorite gag to pull is having a volunteer teacher stand a couple of feet away and ask them to hold out their hands and get ready to catch. I let them believe it is an innocent activity as I throw my replica black bear scat at them to catch.
This usually get a scream from the teacher, but the kids love it. It’s just another little way to let kids know that nature is fun.
Just this past week, I brought my spider collection into classrooms. We talked about black widows and brown recluses.
I opened the lesson by telling them they would all get a chance to see a real black widow. As I reach into my box, I hesitate and tell them not to panic. Then I ask if they would mind to look under their desk because my spider is no longer in her cage.
Of course, I don’t carry a live one with me ... those who read my spider article will know why. But, I do these silly little things to break the ice and grab the studentss attention. It works like a charm every time.
As you can see, I am very passionate about teaching children about the environment. And, I like to make it fun for them through hands-on activities that allow students see nature up close.
I am excited about living in a county in which the parks and rec departments and some middle schools are looking for ways to put in nature trails. Such trails engage children in learning about nature while actually getting exercise.
It’s important for all of us to be concerned and educate children about the environment, because they will be the ones taking care of it when we are gone.
In 4-H we also are finding ways to reconnect children to nature. We host a 4-H Goes Wild field day for fifth graders. We bring in some volunteers to help teach hands-on activities such as water quality, soil, entomology, wildlife and watershed. We even dissect owl pellets. We have so much fun teaching all these students.
We have clubs for younger children, ranging from ages 4 to 8, called Lil’ Explorers, and clubs for children 9 and older. All of them help children learn about nature.
If you are seeking to get your child involved in a 4-H club that teaches about insects, water quality,or other nature related topics, please call the Extension Office at 623-4072.
If you are educated in an aspect of the environment and are looking for ways to give back to the community, please call the office and ask for Scott.
Lifestyles & Community
Children suffering from ‘Nature Deficient Disorder’
- Lifestyles & Community
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Looking at various things
During my eight years away from home (Richmond and Madison County) the post office tower was a beacon welcoming me home.
Today, the the stone edifice completed in the 1892 as a post office and federal courthouse is the Madison Hall of Justice. -
Things are different than when we were young
I was just thinking the other day about how confused we seniors are most of the time. Things are so different than when we were young. We find it hard to understand much of what we are confronted with.
Some things like this happen to us frequently. We begin a conversation with, “In my day.” We look so old we are followed around by archeologists. We tell our kids that old age causes us to become wiser and they tell us, “Then you must be a genius.” We no longer look forward to a wild evening out, but look forward to a dull evening in. -
We are heirs and joint-heirs to His kingdom
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. — Rom 8:14-19 -
How little exercise is necessary for good health?
How little exercise is necessary for good health?
That question was the subject of a recent investigation by a team of exercise scientists at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and the answer seems to be a lot less than we might think, as long as we’re willing to put in the effort. -
A mother’s love never stops
A mothers love will always be there. Even when everyone else stops to rest, her love for her family continues. She is always working, carring and sharing what she has with her children, even if she has to do without for herself.
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Start planting your hot weather vegetables now
Hopefully, the unusual spate of unseasonably warm weather we had earlier this spring did not fool you, and you’ve been patiently waiting to get your hot weather veggies, such as tomatoes and peppers, into your summer vegetable garden.Now is a good time to start planting these delectable goodies.
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Rethinking the benefits of crunches
I’ve been doing crunches all my adult life and it may be one of the reasons I have back problems. Research from the University of Waterloo in Ontario has found that repeated bending of the spine, such as occurs when doing crunches, can contribute over time to damage of spinal discs. The results are presented — along with a lot of other useful information — in the book, “Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance” by Stuart McGill.
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Is 401(k) good for America?
Internal Revenue Code section 401(k) is the only section of the US tax code that average people can cite.
They know it has something to do with whether or not they can retire with dignity. Or retire at all. -
He is there when you need Him
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. — Psalm 139:7-10 -
It’s tough to be old
I was just thinking the other day about how tough it is to be old. We seniors have so many things to contend with. One of the first things is our memory, or perhaps I should say our lack of memory. I’ve often thought it is easier for us to remember things that happened to us when we were kids than to remember what we had for lunch yesterday. Names are hard to recall. It is embarrassing to meet someone who is familiar and we are certain we should know them, but simply cannot remember their name. In a conversation with a friend, to talk about a former friend but neither of you are able to recall their name.
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