What would our lives be like if our days and nights were as immersed in nature as they are in technology?

The times I spent with my children in nature are among my most meaningful memories-and I hope theirs.

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

The dugout in the weeds or leaves beneath a backyard willow, the rivulet of a seasonal creek, even the ditch between the front yard and the road-all of these places are entire universes to a young child.

This seems clear enough: When truly present in nature, we do use all our senses at the same time, which is the optimum state of learning.

Some kids don't want to be organized all the time. They want to let their imaginations run; they want to see where a stream of water takes them.

Now, more than ever, we need nature as a balancing agent.