Journal #3

Today’s excursion to the nature center made me think a lot about the adventure aspect of being outdoors. Ben happens to be a close representative of Tarzan in pursuit of climbing trees, chasing armadillos, and nature calling so that was entertaining. The great outdoors provide an escape from much of the materialism, social media, and technology we are bombarded with as Americans. Much of what many people enjoy doing in their free time utilizes nature. Without rivers, trees, and plants—we wouldn’t have kayaking, climbing, or gardening as hobbies. So many of my best memories growing up are being outdoors whether that was riding bikes at my cabin, jumping on the trampoline, digging for bugs, playing kickball, or just running around and enjoying my youth. I think the most significant memories are often created amidst nature because all of our senses are engaged. I also think life change for many people happen when they are able to spend more time outdoors. There is a reason why so many summer camps—Young Life camps, Kanakuk, etc—are outdoors where students are able to engage easier, become active, and appreciate creation. Many times addictions are able to break and mental illness can be better dealt with at sites where nature is a part of the therapy. Not only is being in nature a form of therapy, but also so many ground breaking medicinal improvements have come from our study of plants. On the market now there are tons of natural remedies that come from the tree bark, various leaves, etc. Our use of nature in the marketplace is a booming industry in and of itself. If we think about the amount of money that pharmaceutical companies have made off of medications used because of plant research, we would be looking at millions upon millions of dollars. So many of our beauty products and everyday household items are derived from plants. Furthermore, fertile soil is what has allowed humanity to sustain itself with food for thousands of years. Farmer’s toil in the fields to reap the harvest of what the land produces. Basically, today I recognized that nature is intertwined with everything that exists as we know it. Nature is such a large component of childhood—that is why we have recess and backyards. Nature is a part of medicine—that is why we have been able to cure and treat so many diseases. Nature is a part of our economy—that is why we generate millions of dollars from crops that are grown. Nature is a part of leisure time—this is why so many people relax outdoors, go to the lake, and go fishing. Nature is a place that can provide an outlet—whether this is a fitness outlet or an outlet to disengage from technology. I think the benefits of appreciating nature are endless and certainly cannot be separated from our daily lives.