Biophilia and Parenting

Biophilia is a theory by E.O. Wilson (as I understand it) that suggests that we are not whole when we are separated from the natural world.  Have been thinking about it lots with all the Richard Louv I've read in the last couple of months.

So, we went once again to a place my family refers to as "Narnia" because the animals (birds) are so friendly.  I have no idea how they came to be this way, but if you go there with birdseed, Chickadees, Titmice, and sometimes Nuthatches will timidly perch on your hand and eat seeds from it.  They are skittish for sure- which I take to be a good thing.

Having longed for this in one way or another ever since I was her age myself and a subscriber to Ranger Rick, I pushed to go back a second day, with the vague idea that this would be an experience which would leave an impression on my animal-loving daughter.  It did, and I'm sure it will be remembered.  But she didn't react quite the way I'd expected.

I shouldn't be surprised.  I mean, when you think about it a bit, what 6 year old WOULD want to go somewhere they would be told "be quiet and don't move", no matter what the reward for such behavior?  Fair enough.



Get outside with your kids!


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Also, this is on a totally different wavelength, but I think it's such a good article that I'm going to mention it here.  Read THIS if you have a young girl (daughter, niece, etc.) in your life that you "parent" (whatever that means to you).  (It concerns the sexualizing of kids' toys.)