Last Child In The Woods: Chapter 4 Climbing the Tree of Health

I am excited to finally jump back into our Huawni Parent Book Club blog. Today we are going to be discussing the the following question— how does contact with nature benefit our health?

Here’s what I learned:

• Quality of exposure to nature matters.
• Exposure to nature can help with physical recovery.
• Nature can help calm us down.
• Being in nature is a healthy alternative to our sedentary lives.
• Summer camp is a great way to get extended time in nature.

One thing that that really stood out in this chapter was the idea that being disconnected from nature can have an adverse affect on our health.

A widening circle of research believes that the loss of natural habitat, or the disconnection from nature even when it is available, has enormous implications for human health and child development. They say the quality of exposure to nature affects our health at an almost cellular level.

I was also baffled by the idea that exposure to plants or nature speeds up recovery time. I can say from personal experience being in nature definitely has a way of calming me down. I can almost feel an inner restoration. I don’t take near enough time to do this, which is odd considering I’m a director of a summer camp! I am sure you can relate. Isn’t it interesting how A&M’s research showed that we calm markedly after just five minutes of seeing natural landscapes?

…how strongly and positively people respond to open, grassy landscapes, scattered stands of trees, meadows, water, winding trails, and elevated views.

Another big lesson learned for me is that playing outdoors is maybe the best alternative to TV. The CDC stat says that children ages 6 to 11 spend about 30 hours a week looking at a TV or computer monitor! For us adults, I’m guessing that we spend 8+ hours a day and 5 days a week in front of a computer screen. Not only do our kids need outdoor time, but we adults need it maybe even more.

There are many benefits to summer camp as it relates to being in nature. Here are a few things you may not have known about Camp Huawni in particular. We are flooded with miles of forests surrounding our main campus. In fact, this part of East Texas used to be covered with long leaf pine trees. In 1907, 2.25 billion board feet of lumber was harvested, which was the third largest in the United States. The long leaf was decimated and cow pastures and cotton fields replaced much of this land. That being said, pine trees, mostly Lob Lolly, have grown back and we get the benefit of being surrounded by them today. My hope is to someday replant long leafs here on our property. It would only add to the nature experience for wildlife and our campers.

We also have a handful of nature spots (or landmarks in nature) that we get to enjoy summer after summer. In fact, we’ve named most of them. The Carving Trees, Turtle Rock, Big Woods, Obstacle Course, and the Joe Shields Barn are all destination nature spots that campers look forward to visiting. In addition to having most all activities outside, camp is a place for children to learn that they actually enjoy being outside, providing an alternative to the sedentary lifestyles we live. One other thing we do at Huawni is make time for unstructured play— we just call it free time. We purposefully make this time so that campers really can relax and spend time outdoors with their friends and counselors.

Over a year’s time, the children who played in natural areas tested better for motor fitness, especially in balance and agility. – Richard Louv

Playtime- especially unstructured, imaginative, exploratory play— is increasingly recognized as an essential component of wholesome child development.

I also agree with the part in this chapter about the use of psychotrophic drugs. At camp, many of our parents choose to make administering their child’s ADD medicine optional. Many times our campers don’t need it.

We do know that nature experiences can relieve some of the everyday pressures that lead to childhood depression. – Richard Louv

One more big benefit to summer camp, at least at Huawni, is that they sleep in open air cabins. Some folks might say that we are too rustic, but it is encouraging to see evidence suggesting that this type of exposure is beneficial, especially as it pertains to reducing stress.

Cornell University environmental psychologists reported in 2003 that a room with a view of nature can help protect children against stress, and that nature in or around the home appears to be a significant factor in protecting the psychological well-being of children in rural areas.

One of my students told me that every time she learns the name of a plant, she feels as if she is meeting someone new. Giving a name to something is a way of knowing it.

I bet I can live to a hundred if only I can get outdoors again. – Geraldine Page

I would love to hear what you are learning while reading this book. Please reply below!