What if a tree fell in the forest and no one knew it's biological name? Did it exist?

American family life has never been particularly idyllic. In the nineteenth century, nearly a quarter of all children experienced the death of one of their parents.... Not until the sixties did the chief cause of separation of parents shift from death to divorce.

Now, my tree-climbing days long behind me, I often think about the lasting value of those early, deliciously idle days. I have come to appreciate the long view afforded by those treetops. The woods were my Ritalin. Nature calmed me, focused me, and yet excited my senses.

The future will belong to the nature-smart.

The woods were my Ritalin. Nature calmed me, focused me, and yet excited my senses.

When you're sitting in front of a screen, you're not using all of your senses at the same time. Nowhere than in nature do kids use their senses in such a stimulated way.

We can conserve energy and tread more lightly on the Earth while we expand our culture's capacity for joy.