Camping For The Planet
Submitted by Live Earth on 20 September, 2007 - 17:05
I am a mother of 3 boys, and I have found the best way to prepare oneself to live modestly in a modern world is to go camping. We use only what is essential, and living in nature, makes one aware of how little we do need, to survive, yet still feel (more) fulfilled because we feel a primal connection to the earth and its rhythm. By this contrast in experience to our daily existence in our modern, "convenienced" world, we can appreciate afterwards more the comforts we are spoiled by, and the excesses there are.
We wash (ourselves and our clothing) only when it is absolutely necessary, and our day lasts with the natural light. We cook simply, mostly buying only what we use that day--our meals are an event, not just something to quickly get through. We are in touch with our souls and the environment we are in.
Although my kids are already getting tired of me talking about global warming and turning off the lights and computer, unplugging the TV, taking less, shorter showers, wearing our clothes at least more than twice--it is not hard, especially after we have enjoyed the experience of camping without all the appliances and contraptions we are entrapped by in modern living. We remember what it like to not have light, so we can easily change our habits.
I am not just doing this to save energy, I am spending less time cleaning so I can have more time to enjoy my family--our lives can seem less of something to rush through (even with the help our convenient appliances), but a daily remembrance of our camping experiences--which I consider really LIVING...simply, and deeply connected to the wonders of an earth we should not take for granted.
Margie C.-D - Lincoln, MA
I couldn't agree more with
I couldn't agree more with Margie C!!! Not only does this work with your own children, but especially with others who have never been exposed to the outdoors, whether it be from hectic schedules or lack of time or interest on the part of their parents. My children are now grown, but still get out camping several times a year. At 25 and 27, they tell me that they love the "escape from technology" and the inner peace connecting to nature brings.
For more ideas on how to connect kids to nature, and make them more aware of the world they live in, visit greenhour.org As an environmental educator/naturalist and especially being a Mom (and a future grandmother),I am sure that you will enjoy it!
What a great post! I was
What a great post! I was thinking about writing a blog about raising eco-friendly kids, but I hadn't thought of camping specifically. We will definitely be camping with our daughter when she's a little older (she turns 3 this December).
In the meantime, here are some of the things we are doing to try to raise an eco-friendly kid:
--She has always watched almost ZERO TV and truly doesn't seem interested in TV for more than 20 minutes at a time now (her grandpa unfortunately indulges her when she goes to visit him). When she does watch, it's usually Animal Planet.
--We have never fed her processed and pre-packaged food. When she was first starting to eat baby food, my partner baked fresh apples, pears, etc. and we pureed it into baby food. I experimented with various types of pureed green vegetables, like kale and Swiss chard--things you can't find in jarred baby food anyway--and I truly believe this is one of the reasons she is now very good about eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
--We take every opportunity to teach her where food comes from, and grow a variety of fruits and vegetables in our backyard so she can see for herself. She is particularly interested in how milk is produced, so we've taken her to various model organic farms so she can watch cows being milked. We've also taken her blueberry picking. Blueberries are now one of her favorite foods (they would be yours too, if you ate them straight off the bush instead of picking up week-old packages at Whole Foods).
--We not only read books to her at every opportunity, we make a monthly trip to the public library to pick up a dozen new books and drop off the old ones. We believe this teaches her the value of sharing and of community spaces, cuts down on our consumption, and of course opens her up to reading more books and more types of books than we could ever afford to buy her (or would have the space to store!).
I'd love to hear what other ideas parents have for instilling their kids with environmental values!
The conbination-Sun
The conbination-Sun power&wind power and traffic tehnologic change can soon cut Co2 to 90 percent
To end the roadway aglomeration status more security less victims
Camping can teach us about
Camping can teach us about the ways of our distant ancestors.
Hi guys, this is so inspiring
Hi guys, this is so inspiring for me, my partner and I don't have any kids yet but we have had the discussion a number of times regarding how we are going to raise future children with environmental values. It is great to know that this can be done - there are a lot of people out there that put it in the too hard basket. I feel too that instilling these values in our kids early will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives - I would rather see kids outside tending to their own little bit of garden, than inside watching tv. Thanks!