In our industry, we talk a lot about the importance of “getting out into nature” or “experiencing nature” for all of the many benefits it provides – physical, mental, emotional, and social. Often times, when we imagine where we might go to engage with nature we picture ourselves hiking through a forest, exploring a mossy creek bed, or biking down a mountainside. At Camp Fire, we’ve realized recently that we need to challenge those assumptions. The unfortunate reality is that not every child, or adult, has access to those designated nature spaces. Nor is it always practical for us to escape the city limits whenever we might like to. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still find ways to engage with the natural world.
Redefining What “Nature” Means
We don’t need to escape to untouched wilderness to find “nature” – it’s all around us, often we just need to take a moment to notice it. It’s in the community garden down the street, it’s in the trees planted along the city right-of-way, it’s in the rabbits and squirrels running across the sidewalk, and it’s in the sky right above our heads wherever we go.
Nature is persistent, powerful, and ever-present. It is not drowned out by our modern world but rather has found exciting ways to adapt to it. The nature that exists in the city is different from that of the wilderness in many ways but certainly not less than. When we widen our definition of “nature” we realize there are many more opportunities for hands-on learning with our youth, personal rejuvenation, and exploration all around us. We can step right outside our front door and find a world teeming with life – we just have to notice it!
Easy Ways to Engage with Nature
You don’t have to be an expert to engage with the nature all around you, try one of the ideas below by yourself, with a friend, or as a way to teach your child about nature:
The Benefits of Nature in Daily Life
Research demonstrates that there are numerous physical, mental, and social health benefits to being in nature and participating in outdoor endeavors – even in small doses. Being outdoors and experiencing nature improves our physical fitness and immune system function, helps reduce stress and anxiety improving our mood and cognitive functions, and provides opportunities for social interaction and connection to our community.
Importantly, it’s not the physical location which determines the outcomes we experience, but our ability to intentionally tune in to the natural wonders, patterns, and processes all around us. We don’t need to go somewhere remote, off the grid, or behind a costly permit to experience nature. We don’t need to “escape” our city or community either – nature is right outside our door wherever we are, just waiting for us to notice it!
About Camp Fire:
Camp Fire is an inclusive youth development organization founded with the intention of connecting kids with nature and helping them develop the skills needed for a happy, healthy life now and into the future.
Our Mission: Growing up is hard. That’s why Camp Fire connects young people to the outdoors, to others, and to themselves.
We do this through a variety of powerful youth experiences and programs including Community Clubs, Before- and After-School Care, Out-of-School Time Programs, Day and Overnight Camps, and Teen Leadership Development – collectively serving more than 1,600 central Iowa youth every year.
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