Connecting with Nature Enriches Human

Valerie Varnuska from the Westbury, NY area, has a longstanding interest in the outdoors. One aspect of the natural world that Valerie Varnuska appreciates is the health benefits such explorations bring.

In today’s urbanized, digitally connected world, access to natural experiences has diminished for many, with this lack of natural stimuli characterized as “nature-deficit-disorder.” Unfortunately, people are increasingly cut off from a vital aspect of personal development that has served societies well for millennia. This begins with childhood habits and experiences: a Psychology Today article reports that unstructured outside play has decreased by one-fourth since 1981. The effect is felt in attention deficits, obesity, emotional instability, and a diminished reliance on the full range of senses.

Faced with such lost opportunities, the imperative of conserving nature is not simply about preserving biological diversity and clean air and water, but preserving something vital within ourselves. From independence to self-esteem, the lessons that nature provides are immense.

Natural areas also serve to preserve traces of the way in which indigenous civilizations lived in harmony with their surroundings. Connecting with nature on a deeper level breathes life into human traditions beyond the history books and fosters an understanding of humans as one element within a broader planet. It expands horizons even as it sustains well-being, and helps us envision a healthier, more connected world.

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