By bringing nature into our lives, we invite humility.

There is a real world, beyond the glass, for children who look, for those whose parents encourage them to truly see.

Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young; it travels along grass-stained sleeves to the heart. If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must also save an endangered indicator species: the child in nature.

How can our kids really understand the moral complexities of being alive if they are not allowed to engage in those complexities outdoors?

Most people are either awakened to or are strengthened in their spiritual journey by experiences in the natural world.

What happens when all the parts of childhood are soldered down, when the young no longer have the time or space to play in their family's garden, cycle home in the dark with the stars and moon illuminating their route, walk down through the woods to the river, lie on their backs on hot July days in the long grass, or watch cockleburs, lit by morning sun, like bumblees quivering on harp wires? What then?

The pleasure of being alive is brought into sharper focus when you need to pay attention to staying alive.