Comments on: “Last Child in the Woods”

By: Ted M. Gossard

Ted M. Gossard — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:56:44 +0000

Yes, I spent most of my childhood outside, only inside when I was spent from the hot sun or it was raining, or just to have relief from the cold.

It was truly wonderful. Something that will be with me throughout my lifetime, and hopefully forever.

To this day I still love that place and am glad for every chance to go back to it.

Today’s suburban sprawl just doesn’t seem to facilitate enough of this sort of living. A regret I have now is over the small amount of land we live on. You need some space, though we just need to learn to appreciate more and more the space we have.

By: Heidi

Heidi — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:17:18 +0000

My son is 8 months old and this is an issue that scares me. I worry that he will not have the same exposure to wildlife that I did. We live in town where the only wildlife in our back yard are squirrels and a few birds. I guess that’s better than nothing but I want him to have opportunities like I did to catch frogs, watch deer in the back yard and just wander all over creation. I’m going to have to check out the book you mentioned.
My parents gave us another book titled “I love dirt” by Jennifer Ward. (I believe Richard Louv wrote part of the forward for it.) I plan to use that one as well.

By: Dean Ohlman

Dean Ohlman — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:07:46 +0000

Just these two comments alone highlight the concern expressed by Richard Louv in his book. Those who love the outdoors and benefit so much from it had long and rich experiences in the natural world as a child. The fact that most children think of a mouse as a computer accessory is indeed a sad fact. What used to be natural—kids playing in nature—is now “unnatural.”

By: SFDBWV

SFDBWV — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:18:49 +0000

Your comments on this topic evoke many memories. Without going into a long explanation, let me say my childhood was somewhat abnormal when comparied to many. However, Two things developed during my formative years.
My friends and I spent every waking opportunity outside. Swiming in the creek,building forts.Fishing, groundhog hunting,playing baseball,climbing trees,skipping rocks,and sometimes just laying on our backs looking up into the sky immagining what the clouds looked like. In the worst snows of winter we were the same. Snowball fights,snow forts,sled ridding,skating on ice (we had no ice skates),shoveling walks and of course making snow angels. winter had an added benifit…immagination!!! I wound spend the long evenings planning fishing and hunting trips and plan out my next series of camping trips. All with the aid of magazines filled with neat stuff to aid in my imaginary adventures.

Such a childhood taught me social skills,confidence,and an appreciation for all natural things around me as my playground.

Today’s children have been robbed of exercising their imaginations,and appreciation of all things natural. We see the results every day in the news, and actions of industry.

By: rdrcomp

rdrcomp — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:51:39 +0000

Dean, had the same experience as a boy. Rarely was in the house during sunny days, no matter the season, unless weather was terrible. Spent many a day with a rain shower or two in the summer. Those rainy days provide a different but exciting time to be in the woods.

Have 9 grandchildren, and all but 1 loves to go outside with grandma and grandpa. Camping and wading in the streams, wildlife viewing, they love it and I am delighted. Leave the nintendos at home (or at least locked in the truck) and don’t miss them at all (well, much anyway).

Two of my granddaughters look forward to coming south during June and spend a week camping with us. They talk about it all the time. When back in Kentucky, they do spend a lot of time inside, so they get their “fix” when they come to grandpa’s.

Not sure what the next generation will do with their grandkids, but hope since they love the outdoors now, that it will continue.