I got an email from Kylie, one of the tween members of St. Paul's. She had been for a walk with her grandfather, reader Brian, who is putting some hours of his retirement to great use taking his grandkids for exploratory walks in the great out of doors. Kylie knew I was aware of the spot where this nuthatch was coaxed to eat seeds from the hand and she wanted me to see the photographic evidence. We have been quite successful with the chickadees but the nuthatches tend to hang around and watch, much warier about humans. This was an accomplishment!
I write often about the importance of encouraging our children to enjoy the natural world, what we Christians regard as God's creation. Watching and admiring the seasonal changes in our natural settings and interacting with the creatures which inhabit them is an essential step toward conscientious care and protection.
We sometimes wondered whether our three children would end up resenting how much of their early years was spent camping, canoeing, hiking. After all, they didn't have much of a choice. I'm relieved that in adulthood they appreciate the living world around them. And now we have a daughter-in-law who is a freshwater ecologist and with whom we can have great conversations.
Nice going Kylie, and keep up the noble work Brian. Any comments on what you do to encourage the children in your sphere of influence to appreciate creation?
3 comments:
Our holidays were spent hiking the Bruce Trail. I can't say it left me with a love of hauling around a pack but I can say I hiked the whole Trail! Have also hiked trails in the Rockies. We have a canoe and enjoy trips with it. My brother has written books on kayaking and canoeing and cycling. As I get older bed and breakfasts look pretty good.
My son has taken part in the annual bird count for years. Any exposure to the world is a good thing!
Some of our fondest memories of raising our sons are of days spent with rubber boots on wading through various creeks and scooping up insects for them to examine and then set free again. They were like two tiny scientists so intently did they study these creatures. I hope one day they remember all those times with as much fondness as we do.
Thanks for these personal responses. We all need to do the little things, even as we are aware of the larger issues of the environment which seem so daunting.
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