| Many years ago, humans and nature coexisted in a | | | | think about it, this makes sense. When you immerse |
| harmony that has been missing in present days. We | | | | yourself into nature, you get a feeling of being part |
| didn't live in the technical and sophisticated way we | | | | of a community, of belonging to something "bigger". |
| do now. We needed to connect to nature on a much | | | | We know that immersion into nature, can lead to a |
| more personal level because it was integral to our | | | | healthier, fitter, stress free and now friendlier |
| very existence. | | | | personal lifestyle. Is that the most important |
| Humankind's very survival depended on listening to | | | | outcome of connecting with nature though? Is |
| and feeling our connection with nature. We relied on | | | | personal growth the end all and be all or is there is |
| plants for our medicine, used the stars to navigate | | | | actually more to it? |
| and tilled the land using animals to plant our crops. | | | | Skeet Sutherland, of Sticks and Stone Wilderness |
| That is just the tip of the iceberg. | | | | training puts it best when he says "Wilderness |
| In years past almost everything people needed was | | | | Awareness Skills save more than one life but whole |
| tied to nature. These days, while nature is still | | | | communities...Sticks and Stones Wilderness School |
| present in our life, there is a certain disconnect for | | | | brings expert skills to the local community in the |
| people. This is especially true for those of us who live | | | | name of forest preservation and practical ecological |
| in suburban, or urban environments. We have pills for | | | | initiatives. We help people feel at home with their |
| our headaches, GPS units to navigate and we get our | | | | habitat by giving them the skills to implement |
| "crops" from the supermarket. | | | | sustainable objectives that produce practical and |
| Our advances in technology and convenience aren't | | | | reliable results that enhance biological diversity and |
| necessarily bad things. We should embrace the | | | | ecological integrity." |
| advances we have made as a species. There have | | | | When people learn more about nature, they will be |
| been some truly impressive feats realized in modern | | | | more open to conservation efforts. If we connect |
| times. We need to keep things in perspective though | | | | with nature - we will be able to relate to things like |
| and not forget about our past. Our connection to | | | | loss of habitat, loss of wetlands and tragedies like |
| nature should always be cherished and remembered. | | | | extinction. |
| There are many benefits to "getting back to nature". | | | | Although we don't rely on nature like we once did, |
| Past research has shown that a connection to nature | | | | we still need it. It is still part of what makes this |
| has been shown to decrease stress levels and | | | | Earth special. It can help us heal faster and makes us |
| stimulate healing. Newer research has even drawn the | | | | better people. The best way we can make sure our |
| conclusion that it makes people nicer! | | | | natural habitat is protected is by teaching ourselves |
| A series of studies posted on the Personality and | | | | and our children about nature and the wilderness. We |
| Social Psychology Bulletin suggests that immersion in | | | | need to feel the connection with nature that our |
| nature brings individuals closer to others, whereas | | | | ancestors once relied upon. That is the key to |
| human-made environments make people more | | | | ecological conservation and preservation. |
| interested in selfish or self interested ends. When you | | | | |