Lutra 56(2)_Canters & Verboom_Editorial_2013

Visions of nature

For a young child, nature can be exciting, providing endless opportunities to play and discover its diversity. There are many ways to trigger and develop children’s interest in nature. Regular visits to an interesting area, for instance, can spark a familiarity and a growing curiosity and knowledge about the place. A parent, a teacher or a friend might play an important role here, or even a book. The child’s curiosity may be sparked by the experience of camping, hiking or cycling; or an encounter with a squirrel or a bird of prey, or maybe the smell and colours of grassland flowers on a summer’s day. Later in life, childrens’ interests change. As they grow older they may find nature to be quiet and boring, the slow pace of change and the dominance of dull shades of, mainly, green and brown, may well be less attractive than the more exciting and colourful entertainments provided by computer games and television. By the time they have reached puberty, most have lost their interest in nature. But a minority carry this interest further, usually inspired by.....