This tree house became our galleon, our spaceship, our Fort Apache...Ours was a learning tree. Through it we learned to trust ourselves and our abilities.

Nature has been taken over by thugs who care absolutely nothing about it. We need to take nature back.

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.

Nature is about smelling, hearing, tasting, seeing.

Each of us-adult or child-must earn nature's gift by knowing nature directly, however difficult it may be to glean that knowledge in an urban environment.

An indoor (or backseat) childhood does reduce some dangers to children; but other risks are heightened, including risks to physical and psychological health, risk to children's concept and perception of community, risk to self-confidence and the ability to discern true danger