Journal 1

Excerpt from Last Child in the Woods

Photo Credit to SMSD Website 

“… nearly 40 percent of American elementary schools either eliminated or were considering eliminating recess.”

This quote in particular stood out to me, and not in a good way. I cannot comprehend how this could even be considerable? Recess a waste of time? Recess is too risky?  Recess is needed! Recess is essential for building social skills, inspiring creativity, and burning off extra energy. Kids should be encouraged to run and play more; they have a ton of energy, and simply cannot be expected to be attentive in a classroom all day. It’s important to allow a child to recharge their batteries, therefore, enabling them to focus better for the rest of the day.

Touching the Sky with a Stick

“For years Ybarra had dreamed of pulling at-risk kids out of their urban environment and exposing them to nature.”

Wow, this segment from the book really astounded me. I had no idea there were alternative approaches to punishments available. What a great way to show these troubled teens a whole new world. Exposing them to the unknown, showing them there is more to life than street gangs and drugs. Most of these kids grow up in high-poverty neighborhoods seeing violence, drive-by shootings, and brutal home-invasion robberies. They do not know better. Taking them to Alaska, reconnecting them with nature, revaluating their lives, is truly a gift.

Stepping outside

Photo Credit to sabl3t3k

At the age of twenty-two, I still need to get my daily fix of fresh air. Even if I’m not running or biking or swimming, being outside calms me in a way that hardly anything else can. With an hour of nature, I go from being a bossy, opinionated, angry person into a bossy, opinionated, relaxed person. Walking through a park or just my own backyard can help me feel calmer and happier. One of my all-time favorite things to do when I have the time is to take long strolls along the beach. There is just something tranquilizing about looking at the vast sea and hearing the waves clash against the shore that helps me get in balance.  Nature is fuel for the soul.