Decades ago, Aldo Leopold (1949) characterized one the major roadblocks of an environmental way of thinking. 

It is inconceivable to me that an ethical relation to land can exist without love, respect, and admiration for land, and a high regard for its value. By value, I of course mean something far broader than mere economic value; I mean value in the philosophical sense. Perhaps the most serious obstacle impeding the evolution of a land ethic is the fact that our educational and economic system is headed away from, rather than toward, an intense consciousness of land.

In a time long before video games and the Internet competed with the backyard for our children's attention, Leopold recognized a dangerous trajectory in our nation's educational system. As curriculum began to drift from natural sciences, Leopold envisioned a catastrophic future in which children were no longer taught the fundamental concepts of ecology that are essential for understanding stewardship and conservation.

Contemporary studies in educational theory and pedagogy have reinforced Leopold's urgent message. We now understand that teaching about the natural environment in the classroom provides a real-world context for learning by linking the classroom to the students' community and natural setting. When students are engaged in hands-on, active learning about nature, their knowledge and awareness about the environment increases.  In addition to creating knowledge and relevance, environmental education also encourages inquiry and investigation, fostering the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective decision-making skills. Environmentally literate students become citizens who are able to weigh various sides of an environmental issue and make responsible decisions as individuals and as members of their community. 

Unfortunately, natural science based courses are a rarity in public and private education.  Richard Louv highlights this gap in science education, citing there to be no courses that cover local flora and fauna within the forty-three school districts within San Diego County. Not only is San Diego County the sixth-largest school district in America, but it is also considered by the United Nations to be one of twenty-five "hot spots" of biodiversity meaning it contains more endangered and threatened species than any other county in the United States. It seems that the presence of an environmental curriculum is critical within such a biological treasure.

The decreasing presence of natural history in schools has resulted in the loss of respect for the environment. Very few students are offered the opportunity of observing nature and accumulating the background in natural history essential to the ecological understanding necessary to ask relevant questions. Political support for conservation depends on public passion, which must be based on real understanding of what is worth protecting. This understanding can come from two places: childhood experiences in nature and in school. As the number of children who experience nature on their own declines, the role that curriculum plays in developing this understanding must grow.

Evidence that Nature Improves Learning

Research suggests that human beings, through evolution, are genetically programmed with an affinity for nature. Evolutionary biologist E.O. Wilson coined the term biophilia to explain the innate, hereditary, emotional attraction of humans to nature and other living organisms. Biophilia further describes the genetically based biological need for humans to affiliate with nature with a positive response. This genetic link is supported by hundreds of studies of outdoor experiences that show that natural outdoor environments produce positive physiological and psychological responses in humans, including reduced stress and a general feeling of well-being.

This biological need for nature goes beyond genetics. Other research shows considerable evidence that a connection with nature can improve short-term memory, problem solving and creativity. Many educators and experts have adapted the theory of loose parts, a theory that explored the connection between environment and landscape investigated by architect Simon Nicholson in the 1970s. Nicholson (1974) postulated that: "In any environment, both the degree of inventiveness and creativity, and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and kind of variable in it." Nicholson believed that humans are all, by nature, creative and that loose parts in an environment will catalyze creativity. Loose parts are materials that can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, reordered, and taken apart and put back together in numerous ways. Loose parts offer endless creative potential invoking imagination, creativity, curiosity and desire. If a child picks up a stick and starts to play, most likely that stick can become anything the child wants it to be. Maybe the stick will transform into a tool for digging, a sword or a fishing pole. Loose parts go hand in hand with an environmental curriculum as the natural world offers an endless supply of loose parts and objects.

An environmental perspective can also benefit the social development, health and learning of inner city children. Green outdoor space was linked with more creative play. In fact, nearly twice as many children were observed playing in spaces with trees than were observed playing in places with few trees (Taylor et al, 1998). This evidence is supported by other studies that show experiences with the natural world to be positively linked with developing imagination and a sense of wonder, which is an important motivating factor in lifelong learning.

Additional evidence comes from educational outdoor or wilderness experiences including those from organized programs, and from less formal hiking and camping trips. Sometimes these experiences are used as therapy for psychological disorders and emotional problems, developmental and cognitive disabilities, alternative cancer treatment, as well as for other conditions. In addition to the sick, healthy people also benefit from nature exposure. Children in the inner city show elevated self-esteem and well being after attending summer camps in rural locations (Readdick and Schaller, 2005). Even adults who take part in outdoor educational activities reveal that they feel more alive, more positive and have higher energy levels (Greenway, 1995).

Kids today are faced with decreased exposure to the outdoors while spending increased amounts of time indoors.  As a result, we are seeing increasing severity of attention disorders such as ADHD, childhood obesity, depression, and stress. Unstructured time outside is an essential part of child development and play in natural settings seems to offer unique benefits. Children are more physically active when they are outside, which is critical in America as sedentary lifestyles and improper nutrition is causing an epidemic of obesity among children and adults.

In addition to helping combat childhood obesity, studies show that children with ADHD have fewer symptoms and enhanced ability to focus after outdoor activities including fishing, hiking and sports when compared to indoor activities such as doing homework, watching television and playing video games.

Progress is on the Horizon

This theoretical and empirical evidence clearly establishes a profound link between humans and nature. From biophilia to the theory of loose parts and nature's positive impact on mental and physical health, nature is an integral part of education. Not only does nature enhance creativity, mental and physical health, and cognitive development, there is a critical need for children to understand fundamental concepts of ecology and natural science. If kids do not learn these important concepts or experience nature first hand, they will lack the understanding of relevance and affinity for the environment that is necessary for making the every day decisions that promote the sustainability of biodiversity and natural resources.

Thankfully, the U.S. government is taking steps in the right direction. On September 18^th, 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to fortify environmental education experiences for children both in and out of the classroom. The legislation aims to enhance existing environmental education programs by providing the proper resources for teacher training, environmental literacy and the development of research-based programs. Not only will this outstanding legislation reconnect our children with the environment, it will lead to a stronger future of environmental protection while preparing students for the green-collar jobs and lifestyles that are becoming an important part of our economy and culture.

Sources

Greenway, R. (1995). The wilderness effect and ecopsychology. In: Roszak T, Gomes ME, Kanner AD, Eds. Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing the Mind. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books,122-135.

Leopold, A. (1949). A Sand County Almanac. New York: Ballentine Books

Louv, R. (2006). Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books. 335pp.

Nicholson, S. (1974). How Not to Cheat Children: the Theory of Loose Parts. Alternate Learning Environments. Stroudsberg PA: Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross

Readdick, C.A. & Schaller, G.R. (2005). Summer camp and self-esteem of school-age inner-city children. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 101(1), 121-30

Taylor, A.F., A.Wiley and W.C.Sullivan (1998). Growing up in the inner city: Green spaces as spaces to grow. Environment and Behavior 30(1), 3-27