Re: Saanich kids go wild with nature learning, News, (April 24)
It’s good to hear that kids are being encouraged to play outside in nature the way previous generations did.
But the need for a special program like “Wild to Child” to accomplish this begs the question: Why have kids lost “that exposure, that experience with natural areas” in the first place? Is this because green space is being eaten up by development?
Mr. Webb of Wild to Child says “I see a lot of kids growing up in the city not really having access to (nature)”, and Ms Robinson of HAT says that as a result they don’t value natural ecosystems. Do parents, politicians and policy makers value them?
To “experience natural areas” kids need to access them in their own neighbourhoods under their own steam, which would mean limiting density and preserving gardens and parks. Play should be spontaneous and adult-free, and the “right to a healthy environment” means to an environment of extensive green space complete with bird habitat and urban wildlife. It’s tragic to think future kids might see these things only on a computer screen.
SB JulianSaanich