“For in the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.”

These words were said by Baba Dioum, a Senegalese conservationist speaking before the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 1968.

I first heard these words while attending a workshop for outdoor educators in the early 1990s. They have guided my work as a volunteer park naturalist, camp nature counselor, leader of birdwatching walks, bluebird trail monitor and in interactions with my family, friends, and anyone else with whom I could share my love of nature.

My initial reaction to these words was that they were somewhat out of order because I loved nature long before I learned how to identify birds, or the importance of trees to our environment, or even what a habitat is.

More guest commentary:How to retain Ohio’s future leaders

Then I realized I had been taught this love when as a toddler. I would sit on the front lawn with my mother to make clover chains. She would guide me, carefully, in watching the bees that came to the clover and noticing the different kinds we saw.

It didn’t matter what kind they were, just that there were many different ones. We would talk about the various birds that would visit out crabapple tree, and follow the trail of ants as they marched across the lawn and driveway.

My yard was my classroom, my parents were my teachers. The birds, the trees, the bugs, the weeds were my subjects. I did not learn many specifics in these early classes; instead I learned wonder, curiosity and awe.

It is these elements that we need to pass on to our children, students, and friends. The rest will follow.

With curiosity, children will learn. If they are amazed and awed by what is learned, they will dig deeper which brings understanding. The understanding brings love. Though I think for me the love came first.

It was the deep love I had for exploring the woods, turning over rocks in creeks, and lying on the front lawn at night with my father as he showed me constellations that led me to eventually understand that to always have these things in my life, I must act.

More guest commentary:A mother’s love launches Fonda Williams

If I want to continue to hear birds sing, I must lead others to care about birds. If I am concerned about having clean water and clean air, I must let my government representatives know of my concern. And if I don’t want our forests to be destroyed, I must limit my use of the products that consume these resources.

There are many facts and ideals that as adults we should attempt to pass on to our children; I believe that the most vital of these is a love of nature.

Without this love, this understanding of how important it is to care for the natural world, we are doomed to destroy it. Then everything else that we thought was so important won’t matter at all.

You don’t need a knowledge of all the wonderful things that are to be found in your own yard. Just know that they are indeed wonderful. Start from there.

Use the curiosity that children are born with and explore. As you explore, your child (or grandchild, niece, nephew, neighbor) will learn and you will learn. My mother knew little about bees or bugs or birds. My father knew little about the night sky. We learned together.

Our lives were better for it and yours will be also. Together, we can all make the world better.

Laura Dornan is a member of the Canton Audubon Society. The group meets the third Wednesday of the month, September through May at Stark Parks Exploration Gateway at 7 p.m. Meetings are free and open to the public. Visit www.CantonAudubon.org.

[ad_2]

Originally Appeared Here