In medieval times, if someone displayed the symptoms we now identify as boredom, that person was thought to be committing something called acedia, a 'dangerous form of spiritual alienation' -- a devaluing of the world and its creator.

Prize the natural spaces and shorelines most of all, because once they're gone, with rare exceptions they're gone forever. In our bones we need the natural curves of hills, the scent of chapparal, the whisper of pines, the possibility of wildness. We require these patches of nature for our mental health and our spiritual resilience.

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

Nature is one of the best antidotes to fear.

We do not raise our children alone.... Our children are also raised by every peer, institution, and family with which they come in contact. Yet parents today expect to be blamed for whatever results occur with their children, and they expect to do their parenting alone.

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

The future will belong to the nature-smart...Th e more high-tech we become, the more nature we need.