First of all, I have to say that I am not the family member hunting with my daughter. Her dad taught her how to hunt and takes her hunting. Though I have gone out with them once or twice, hunting is definitely their time of dad-daughter bonding. Actually, it’s more grandpa-dad-daughter bonding since my dad also hunts with them.

 

This fall was the second time she’s hunted, and she was successful again in bagging her two deer. I have to say that rather than just being proud of her for filling her tags, we’re also happy to see that she is growing up with the ethics of hunting, such as fair chase, staying off other people’s property, and not to expect “the big one” every year. She’s also learning patience and how to be still, both important life skills. Since we use the meat, she also feels a sense of pride when venison is on the menu.

 

Even though I don’t hunt, I’m happy to see my husband and daughter enjoy this time together. This is one more link to keep her enjoying the outdoors throughout her lifetime.

Are you cut off from nature? In today’s age, this is a common problem with people in developed countries such as the U.S. We drive everywhere; many people live in large urban areas with little green space; we don’t grow our own food, and electronics give us our entertainment. When was the last time you spent more time outside than it takes to walk from the door of whatever building you’re in (home, school, store) to your car?

 

Frankly, our disconnection from nature can be even deeper than our lack of time spent outdoors. Look around the room you’re in right now (the one that houses your computer). Can you see outside? Many office spaces lack windows, which is a sad commentary on our society. At home, we tend to keep blinds or curtains closed over other windows, thus “blocking out” the outside, which is even sadder. When we can’t see out the window, we deprive ourselves of information our ancestors would have considered valuable — whether it was raining, snowing, sunny, or windy. We tend to think of ourselves as apart from nature, somehow above its influences, but a prolonged disconnection with the outdoors can have a detrimental effect on our moods.

 

Think about how you feel stepping into a dim house where all the curtains are shut. You may feel tired, depressed, anxious or restless. Kids can feel the same way. In fact, there are many reasons children should be able to see outside (and go outside to play!). In his book, Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv reports that girls who have some natural view from their homes concentrate better and act less impulsively, increasing their chances of succeeding in school and life.

 

Louv also cites studies of surgery patients who recovered more quickly if they had a view of natural settings as opposed to brick walls and of prison inmates who suffered fewer illnesses if they lived in cells with windows facing farmland rather than the prison courtyard. This all boils down to the fact that cutting ourselves off from nature is not good for us physically or emotionally.

 

Find something to do outside rather than just walking to and from your car, and open the curtains in your house. A little contact with nature every day, even if it’s just a view of some bushes and a patch of grass, is beneficial. Acknowledge nature and reap the benefits.

We are failing our daughters. While we may be teaching them that they should expect an equal education and can have their choice of careers with pay equal to men, we’re allowing them to adopt an attitude of fragility. I am the mother of a teenage girl whom I am trying to bring up as a well-rounded person. While she is exposed to pop culture as anyone her age is, she is also quite comfortable in the outdoors. Imagine my angst in reading one of her teen magazines and seeing an article entitled “Nightmares in Nature.”*

 

The article profiled three teenage girls who were seriously injured in the outdoors, but lacked any advice on how the girls could have avoided trouble. Basically, the article served to scare teenage girls back inside their houses and malls where it’s safe; thus leaving them feeling that they’re not up to the challenge of the outdoors. It’s time we wildmoms take matters into our own hands.

 

The first girl, 18 years old, was working away from home and decided to hike alone to an area with better cell phone service so she could call her family. Her mistakes – she told no one where she was going, went alone, took no water, and sat down too close to the edge of a ravine. The hour-long hike left her hot and thirsty, so when she sat down at the ravine’s edge and quickly stood up after no one answered at her parents’ home, she toppled over the 50-foot cliff. Luckily, she was found the next day by a search team and eventually recovered, though doctors weren’t sure she’d ever walk again. I give her credit for being strong enough to overcome her obstacles, but her accident was completely unnecessary. A few simple precautions could have made a huge difference.

 

The second girl was bitten by a brown recluse spider on a camping trip. Most brown recluse bites occur in the home, so this isn’t always an outdoor occurrence. What’s more, everyone on the trip saw the spider, including the adults, but no one could identify it. She ended up not going to the doctor until she had a tennis ball-sized lump on her leg, required surgery and nearly needed her leg amputated. Had they been able to identify it, the campers could have been on the lookout for bites, and when hers became noticeable, she could have received medical attention much more quickly.

 

The third girl was trapped in a waterfall after floating down a river on inflatable mattresses and going over a waterfall. Yes, a waterfall. Would you let your 15-year-old float down a river with a 120-foot fall? How is that no one knew it was there? The teens were by themselves, no adults. She was floating along and boom! the current became strong and over she went. There is simply no excuse for it — someone should have checked the river, it’s not that hard to spot a waterfall! The lack of knowledge about their surroundings is appalling — that accident was 100 percent preventable. As it was, she went over the cliff, broke her ankle and remained trapped against the wall behind the fall. Fortunately, her friends stayed with her while they waited for emergency personnel. Not surprisingly, she now has an abject fear of rivers.

 

The bottom line is that as parents, we must give all of our kids the basic skills and knowledge they need to safely enjoy the outdoors. They need to understand that there are risks be prepared. We shouldn’t allow our girls to be scared into becoming “hothouse” flowers that evolve into that stereotypical female wearing high heels in the woods and screaming at the sight of a chipmunk.

 

*Cosmo Girl!, June/July 2008