THE RETURN TO NATURE

By Josh Boldt

Growing up in British Columbia has given me a passion and love for the natural beauty this province has to offer.  My early years were spent fishing, hiking and exploring the wilderness in the interior of British Columbia.  It was the quiet of falling snow, the warmth of the afternoon sun and the sound the leaves made beneath my boots in late fall that drew me in, that draws me in still.As an adult I spend my summers working in Johnstone Strait and off the West Coast of B.C. as a kayak guide and ambassador to the wilderness.  This allows me to showcase British Columbia’s natural beauty and continue to push my own knowledge base of the natural world around me.  Being in nature and learning about the animals and ecosystems around me creates a connection, a connection between myself and the natural world around me.  If I hadn’t spent this time in nature learning and creating this connection then I could easily be disconnected and not have the drive to preserve it for the children that I will teach and have of my own.Ensuring that British Columbia’s vast pristine wilderness is kept intact for generations to come is paramount to my personal beliefs and duty as an educator and resident of Vancouver Island.My father and his before him had the same love of the outdoors because they were brought up spending time in the forests and on the lakes and oceans of B.C. They too created connections with the natural world and from these connections an organic need to preserve them formed.

Our Duty as global citizens

We need to be very careful that we do not disappear into the disconnect that has been created, with our lack of time in the real world. The answers to so many of our current issues are found literally just outside of our doors. The anxiety, worry, and stress that we feel on a daily basis can be greatly reduced by spending time in nature. It is the calm, the power, and the beauty that allows us to be small under forces that are too great to comprehend. Look at the picture below… What do you feel?

“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin” William Shakespeare

THE SEED

My professional development has focused on broadening my knowledge

on the effects of children spending less time in nature and the health concerns

that stem from this disconnect. Also, how we can mitigate this disconnect

between today’s youth and nature in order to foster a need in children to

protect what they have left of the natural world. With the resent explosion of

smartphones, social media and computer based technology, people in general

have begun to spend a lot less time in the “real world” and a lot more time in a

“digital one”. If we can engage children in nature we can make sure that their

generation will be healthier physically and mentally and act as environmental

stewards.

The benefits of a return to natureThe list below is from the forest bathing website http://www.shinrin-yoku.org/shinrin-yoku.html .

Boosted immune system functioning, with an increase in the count of the body's Natural Killer (NK) cells.

Reduced blood pressure Reduced stress Improved mood Increased ability to focus, even in children with ADHD Accelerated recovery from surgery or illness Increased energy level Improved sleep Deeper and clearer intuition Increased flow of energy Increased capacity to communicate with the land and its

species Increased flow of eros/life force Deepening of friendships Overall increase in sense of happiness

Resources to guide you:

http://www.shinrin-yoku.org/shinrin-yoku.html (forest bathing website) https://youtu.be/wsIYWEodnz0 (youtube video on nature deficit

disorder) https://joshnboldt.weebly.com/ (website on the benefits of nature)

https://joshboldtblog.wordpress.com/2017/10/24/forest-bathing-in- japan/

https://youtu.be/MQi2UWzba3g (place based learning website) http://www.saplingsoutdoorprogram.ca/resources-links/ (website on

outdoor programs for kids)