Canadian Youth: Nurturing Nature or Fostering Fear

Introduction to Urban Living and Nature Disconnection

Despite the vast wilderness that stretches across our country, the reality for most Canadian children is an upbringing in urban landscapes. These environments, meticulously crafted and dominated by human presence, foster a disconnection from the natural world. While urban development has its merits, it is easy to overlook the potential consequences of growing up in surroundings that largely exclude the untamed beauty of nature.

Urban Response to Nature

In the heart of city living, the intrusion of cockroaches, fleas, ants, and mosquitoes sparks an immediate reaction – the deployment of insecticides.

Mice and rats face poisoning or trapping, while gardeners engage in a relentless battle against ragweed, dandelions, slugs, and root-rot. The urban populace possesses a modern arsenal of chemical weapons to combat these invaders, utilizing them abundantly. The result is a city landscape meticulously shaped for human convenience, yet often devoid of a harmonious coexistence with nature.

Early Conditioning of Children

Within the confined spaces of city apartments, the mere presence of mud on a child's clothes or the act of wading through a puddle raises concerns about getting "dirty.

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" This early conditioning imparts a clear message to youngsters – nature is an adversary, something dirty, dangerous, or merely a nuisance. The astonishing reality is the speed at which children absorb these attitudes and values. Urban environments inadvertently teach them to distance themselves from nature and to instinctively try to control it.

Historical Context of Human Dependence on Nature

Reflecting on the historical context of human existence, it becomes evident that for 99 percent of our species' time on this planet, we were deeply embedded in and reliant on nature.

Our prosperity was intricately linked to the abundance of plants and animals. In times of plenty, we thrived, and in the face of famine or drought, our numbers dwindled. Today, our dependence on nature remains just as significant – plants convert photons of energy into sugar molecules, cleanse the air, and replenish oxygen. Ignoring this reliance on an intact ecosystem is a perilous oversight.

Tragedy of Detached Attitude

The tragedy unfolds when my 7-year-old daughter eagerly introduces her friends to her cherished pets – three exquisite salamanders her grandfather procured for her in Vancouver. Yet, invariably, the reaction is one of recoil and fear. Similarly, my 3-year-old, proudly displaying her collection of millipedes, spiders, slugs, and sowbugs from under the rocks in our front lawn, is met with a universal response of "yuk" from both children and adults alike. The heart-wrenching aspect lies in the assumption ingrained in this attitude – the belief that humans are somehow special and distinct, positioned outside the realm of nature.

Environmental Impact of Disconnection

Does it matter if we perceive our place in nature when we have the comfort of cities and advanced technology? The answer is a resounding "yes" for numerous reasons. Most notably, many scientists trace their fascination with nature back to their childhood and retain that curiosity throughout their lives. However, a more profound reason lies in the fact that maintaining a spiritual connection with all other life forms inevitably influences our actions. The concern that grips my 7-year-old daughter when she sees an image of a dying or dead animal, fearing the possibility of extinction at her tender age, highlights the stark reality of our environmental challenges.

Cultural and Artistic Inspiration from Nature

The beauty of a loon's yodel at sunset, the awe-inspiring sight of vast flocks of migrating waterfowl in the fall, and the indomitable spirit of salmon returning over vast distances – these images of nature have fueled our creative expressions in music, poetry, and art. The preservation efforts for species like California condors or whooping cranes stem not merely from a fear of ecological collapse, but rather from a visceral reaction to the unsettling disappearance of another species at our hands.

Importance of Ecological Understanding

Empowering children with the understanding that they, too, are animals fosters a sense of fellowship and community with other species. The significance lies not only in recognizing our place in the biosphere but also in the visceral reaction elicited when witnessing environmental degradation. When children comprehend the interconnectedness of the ecosystem, witnessing the clear-cutting of the great virgin forests or factories spewing poison becomes a source of physical pain. The violation of their home, the biosphere, becomes a deeply personal offense.