BACK TO SIMPLICITY:A STUDY OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS AND ITS BENEFITS

The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.  ~Unknown

*1

What happened to Simplicity ?

In our world today there is so much chaos and commotion. We live in a consumerist

and materialistic society where all that matters is buy, buy, buy, sell, sell, sell. Our

only forms of entertainment are the newest IPods, Game Consoles and the

latest pictures on Facebook...

But what happened to the good old days when all we needed was what we could

get from the earth?

In a simpler time, people were less stressed, aggravated, and greedy. Playing a

neighbourhood game of road hockey or going camping with friends used to be

priority...

How can retreating to a simpler, more nature bound life benefit us?

*2

SURVEY:25 University Students were asked if they have partaken in these outdoor activities. They were then asked if they owned an IPOD...

Not surprisingly, there were 15 students who had never been on a canoe trip, 6 who had not seen the mountains, and only 3 who did not have IPods. Yet, the ones who did not, had some other form of MP3. It is results like these which make one question what is truly important to individuals nowadays...

*3&4

• Outdoor Adventure can lead to great feelings of self accomplishment

• Relaxation and Rejuvenation• Appreciation of life and living • The abandonment of material obsessions

can lead to self enlightenment – Kant• Appreciation for true beauty as opposed to

artificial

Nature cures—not the physician.

Hippocrates

What Benefits can Nature bring us? • Individuals dealing with grief are able to look beyond it and find the beauty in their surroundings

• Self awareness and enhanced well-being

• Inspiration and Guidance• Nature can be a place of refuge from

the stressors of life• Creative and Artistic Inspiration

*5

Low Impact Camping and Ecological Footprints

Low Impact Camping:Returning the state of a campsite you have visited to its exact, original appearance and leaving minimal evidence that you were there.

How To:- Leave no garbage or food on the site- If possible, use a propane stove instead of

collecting kindling for fire, as trees do not grow fast enough to replenish what you have taken

- Never dig latrines within 200ft. of water to avoid contamination

- Spread your group out while walking through large meadows to avoid erosion

Ecological Footprints:A measure of human demand on the Earth’s resources compared to its ability to replenish what we take. Goal: make our footprints as small as possible.

How To:- Carpool- Buy fresh and non packaged or processed

foods- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!- Conserve Energy! Lights Out!- Measure your OWN ecological footprint:

http://www.royalsaskmuseum.ca/gallery/life_sciences/footprint_mx_2005.swf

Ecological Footprints Around the World

*6,7,8

One has to be alone, under

the sky,

Before everything

falls into place and one finds

his or her own place in the

midst of it all.

We have to have the

humility to realize

ourselves as part of nature.

- Mertonultimgoo

Wilderness is a

spiritual necessity

, an

antidote to the high

pressure of

modern life,

a means of

regaining

serenity and

equilibrium.- Sigurd

Olson

TAKE THE EARTH IN YOUR HANDS AND MAKE THE CHANGE!

ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF THE OUTDOORS.

*9

ReferencesWeb and Print Material:www.journeyofhearts.org/healing/nature.htmlen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_footprintwww.royalsaskmuseum.ca/gallery/life_sciences/footprint_mx_2005.swfwww.essortment.com/all/campinglowimpa_rhah.htmwww.quotegarden.com/nature.htmlAn Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?, Kant, I.

Image Citations:*1 PowerPoint Clip Art Image*2 PowerPoint Clip Art Image*3 www.libcom.org*4 www.farm2.static.flickr.com/1374/1442751344_9e14e0995d.jpg?v=0*5 www.mdjunction.com*6 www.mrhartansscienceclass.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/footprint.gif*7 www.imageenvision.com*8 www.imageenvision.com*9 www.shutterstock.com