People, Nature, & Media:People, Nature, & Media:Exploring Human Connections to the Exploring Human Connections to the Outdoors & the Natural WorldOutdoors & the Natural World

A Learning CommunityA Learning Community

The Community Leaders

• John Confer, Parks & Recreation Mgmt.• Kyle Fredrick, Earth Sciences• Bill Hug, Elementary/Early Child Education• Susan Jasko, Communication Studies“Community Members”• Cal U students, faculty & staff• California Borough, Washington County &

Beyond!

What’s this Learning Community about?

• Understanding human relationships with the natural world

• Investigating how these relationships have changed through time

• Examining why these relationships are changing

• Exploring what we can do to repair & strengthen these connections

The Need

• Recent literature describes Americans’changing behaviors, resulting in decreasing:

1. Health & fitness levels2. Visitation to parks & natural areas3. Knowledge of nature & natural systems4. Participation in nature-based experiences &

outdoor activities

The Need (cont.)

• Substantial evidence demonstrates an increase in:1. Nature deficit disorder (decreased

experiential knowledge of nature)2. Ecophobia (fear of nature)3. Attachment to electronic media for vicarious

learning experiences & leisure time activities

Biophilia vs. Ecophobia• Fromm (1964), Wilson (1984) & Kellert (1993)

describe “Biophilia” as the attractions, positive feelings and connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of nature

• Sobel (1995) coined the term “Ecophobia” as an irrational, groundless & sometimes hysterical dislike or fear of ecological problems & all or parts of the natural world– If we want people to flourish we need to give them time to

connect with nature and love the Earth before we ask them to save it

– We can cure the malaise of ecophobia with ecophilia - supporting people's biological tendency to bond with the natural world

• “Go out and play” has become “don’t you dare go outside”

• Nature of childhood has changed in a single generation:– 80% of Americans live in urban areas– 2/10 American children are clinically

obese– Kids spend up to 44 hours per week

plugged in• Kids are told the outdoors are unsafe &

it’s too late to save the planet

Ecophobia

“Sensationalist media coverage and paranoid parents have literally ‘scared children straight out of the woods and field’ while promoting a litigious culture of fear that favors ‘safe’ regimented sports over

imaginative play.” --Richard Louv

Fear Decreases Children’s Play Area

One family’s experience…

In 1919 range = 6 milesIn 1950 range = 1 mileIn 1979 range = .5 mileIn 2007 range = 300 yards

From: Dr. Robert Bird in The Daily Mail, June 15, 2007

Videophilia?

• Fewer people (esp. children) are venturing to parks

• To the contrary, on a typical day> 75% watch TV, videos, or DVDs

As the time people spent on electronic media increased, park visits decreased

Videophilia is a noun coined by Pergams & Zaradic describing the current human tendency to focus on sedentary activities involving electronic media

No Time for Nature• Studies shows that people in the US

& other developed nations are spending far less time in nature than ever before

• Declines in per capita nature participation typically began 1981-1991– Losing about 1% per year & have lost

18%-25%• Less contact with nature translates

to decreased appreciation of the environment in future generations

No Time for Parks

• Attendance at US National Parks continuously increased following WW II until 1987

• A significant downward trend began in 1988

Where Will Future Stewards of Nature Come From?*

[What is the] extinction of a condor to a child who has never seen a wren?

--Naturalist Robert Michael Pyle

* Quotes by Richard Louv best-selling author of Last Child in the Woods Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder

Illustration by Stephen Webster

Developing a “Land Ethic”• We reached the old wolf in time to watch a

fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes -something known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then, and full of trigger itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters’ paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view (Leopold, 1949, p. 129-130).

Does education or interaction increase appreciation?• Education & participation with the

natural world may increase personal responsibility for protecting it (stewardship)

• Historically, environmental education initiatives resonated with people• Smokey the Bear – “Only YOU can

prevent forest fires” (1944)• Iron Eyes Cody, Keep America

Beautiful (1971)• Woodsy the Owl – “Give a Hoot, Don’t

Pollute!” (1973)

Why not CALU?• Universities throughout the country, big & small, are

investing in “green” initiatives & campus sustainability projects• AASHE - Association for the Advancement of

Sustainability in Higher Education• “…the United States could be leading the way to

creating a sustainable world. Furthermore, U.S. universities, as centers of innovation and learning, could be in the forefront, leading the charge.”

- C. Uhl, Sustainability on Campus, 2004• California University has worked hard to reduce our

energy consumption through the Master Plan• Can we do more? • What about the campus natural spaces?

Learning Community GoalsYear 1

• Brown Bag Luncheons– Students & faculty invited to stimulate discussion of human

connections to the outdoors & the natural world

• Healthy People Healthy Communities, Naturally– One-day conference (Fall 2008, late-October/Early November)

• Web Site– Learning community progress, resources & announcements

• Greening Cal U & Campus Sustainability– Service learning project to celebrate & promote

• Initiate Student/Faculty “Outings” organization– Promote/offer outdoor recreation & leisure activities to campus

community

• Academic Excellence Days 2009 – Presentation of learning community outcomes at 2009

• Future Research and Scholarly Projects– Environmental Education Curriculum– Park visitation, outdoor experiences and

emotional, physical, environmental response• Active Outing Club

– Student-centered organization for individual and collaborative events and trips

– Examples: Rafting, rock-climbing, hiking • Campus Sustainability Initiative

– Energy consumption audit– Service-learning projects associated with

campus clean-up and sustainability efforts

Learning Community GoalsBeyond Year 1…

Discussion Questions

1. How much time do you spend outdoors in nature?– Would you like to spend more or less? Why?

2. How would you describe the quality of your relationship with the outdoors/nature?

– Do you think it has changed? How?

3. In your view, what should Cal U faculty, staff and students do to address the our relationship with the outdoors/nature?

4. How does the media portray the outdoors and nature?– Do electronic communication devices affect how young people view

nature and the outdoors? How?

5. Do you feel Cal U campus is a Green Campus?– Why/Why not?– Do you think we can do better and make the campus more

sustainable? How?

Please answer on the index cards

Thank You for coming & participating!

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