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| “As a child, one has that magical capacity to move among the many eras of the earth..." |
“I sincerely believe that for the child, and for the parent seeking to guide him, it is not half so important to know as to feel when introducing a young child to the natural world. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow. The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil.” – Rachel Carson, “A Sense of Wonder”
“I enjoy making new footsteps … when I’m alone, miles from anywhere, the complete self-reliance makes me hypersensitive to everything around me. It seems to actually slow down time and make each moment richer and more inviting to live in, each one unique and exquisitely defined, diced to its essence, and sautéed in the fine wine of personal satisfaction. Back in civilization, the days and weeks barrel by like traffic on the freeway. But when I’m out here, my life quietly, seamlessly, effortlessly, beautifully unfolds on a moment by moment basis as the mountains bless me with a never-ending cornucopia of sensory delights with each breath and each step and each new bend in the trail.” – Alan Robertson, “Sierra Joe 9”
“Without continuous hands-on experience, it is impossible for children to acquire a deep intuitive understanding of the natural world that is the foundation of sustainable development. …A critical aspect of the present-day crisis in education is that children are becoming separated from daily experience of the natural world, especially in larger cities.” – Robin C. Moore and Herb H. Wong “Natural Learning, Creating Environments for Rediscovering Nature’s Way of Teaching”
“Not all who wander are lost.” – JRR Tolkien
Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.
