A Service
Project: Instilling Love for Nature in Children and Changing Ideologies about
the Natural World
Term Paper
PHI 3033
“We cannot think too highly
of our nature, nor too humbly of ourselves.”
~~ Charles Caleb Colton, from http://www.adeepplace.com/nature/nature04.shtml
A Service Project: Instilling
Love for Nature in Children and Changing Ideologies about the Natural World
By
Marlena Harold
In our everyday lives we are told what to do in case of specific emergencies. We see signs that say, “in case of emergency call police,” or we hear the ever popular lectures from flight attendants aboard airplanes about the emergency exits being located at the front and back of planes. Just what are we to do in a major crisis though? Who are we to call when everything imaginable goes wrong? Right now we are at dead center in a crisis large that the whole of humanity must wake up to and take part in creating a way out. But just what is the real problem and how on earth do we go about fixing it?
We have come to a point in human history where we need to reassess our values, beliefs, faith, ideologies, ways of life, and entire existence. We have come to a point where the human way of life (for the most part) has placed such a destructive burden on the planet—the planet that has kept us alive for so many years—that the planet itself has hit a point where it may no longer be able to support us, or many other forms of life. It may become inhospitable and just kick us out in order to try and start again. This illness that faces the earth can completely wipe humans out, yet the majority of people today have ideologies that reflect such an ignorance of this problem, and all the problems that afflict the environment, that it seems as if there is no way to stop the planet’s digression into terminal illness.
In today’s world the ideologies of the majority of humans is putting more and more stress on an already overstressed planet. Since the point in human history where humans gave up nomadic lifestyles and began to remain in place, beliefs regarding all aspects of life changed. Since settlements began, people have started having more and more children and accumulating material things in order to supposedly enrich their lives. In order to afford these things people had to start working harder and harder. We had to give up fairly relaxed lifestyles that valued things that don’t have a dollar value (like spending quality time with friends and family and participating in outdoor activities) in order to buy the flashy cars and expensive trinkets.
People
were still connected to nature for a while, but then started erecting barricades
between themselves and the earth. The
process started out slowly and with mostly good intentions: to protect one’s
frail being from the harshness of weather and the dangers posed by animals.
Today, however, for many people housing and the buying of goods has
become about status and “keeping up with the Joneses.”
Despite the fact that for a large span of history “quality of life”
was not defined by possession of material goods, now money has come to be
a way of life for most. As a ray of hope and as an example for us, there
are still people who live in ways that are at one with the Earth. Those that I have in mind specifically are the
Aboriginal peoples of
Along with an out of control obsession with material things we have also blocked ourselves off completely from the earth. Large percentages of the population live in overcrowded concrete super cities, surrounded by nothing but cold man made materials. The issue of overpopulation and shockingly exponential population growth is also one of the biggest problems that needs to be addressed. In order to conform the human condition to a model for sustainability we need to reevaluate our beliefs on population control and death. Alas, though that is a topic deserving a paper unto itself and as this is not the focus here, I will not dwell on it for too long. I believe that before anything can be done about the population problem the values and ideologies regarding human connection to nature must first be changed. If people do not understand why the environment needs to be protected they will not even consider anything regarding population control; it would be far too shocking to the system. Also, as I am still working through my own thoughts on this topic I would not presume that I can instruct others on it.
For most people in the world it is almost impossible to actually get out into nature, so they just forget about it and ignore the ongoing problems. In the last few hundred years we have grown increasingly detached from the natural world and we’ve grown to hold all of the technological advancements we’ve made to be more important that anything else. Spurred on by the Enlightenment and the philosopher Immanuel Kant, the belief that anything without an epistemological value is completely trivial and worthless has spread through our culture and infected the way we think and live (John Cobb “The Failure of Anthropocentrism” p250 in the anthology This Sacred Earth, published by Routledge in October of 1995).
While things such as the computer or the automobile are novel and innovative achievements in themselves (both are far from complete or perfect) how could they possibly compare to the majesty of the Rocky Mountains, starry night skies, lush green valleys, or foamy waves rushing against the sand? How can we learn anything about ourselves, the human condition or where we are going from sitting in front of the computer or television or just plain being stuck inside all the time? According to theologian John Caputo we have created an alternative reality with the use of computers and the Internet and we have grown to have so much faith in the Internet that it has become a new form of religion for us. (John Caputo, pp 67- 90 of On Religion, published by Routledge in 2001). Now how exactly is this a problem? I think that believing in the “reality” presented by the Internet produces a more pronounced distinction between us and the natural world. Relying on this form of technology promotes the ideology that humans are superior to nature (what, with our inventions and all) and therefore do not need to concern themselves with it.
An interesting thing that I found in one of my readings has a great deal to do with the existential concepts that we learn through nature. In a short work entitled, “Somebody, Not Something: Do Animals Have Souls?” Gary Kowlaski makes an interesting point while talking about Martin Buber, “For many children, even today, it is an animal that first introduces them to the mysteries of birth and death and invites them to ponder what it means to be alive,” (This Sacred Earth anthology, p351). Confronting death and the questioning the meaning of life is the biggest philosophical dilemma that anybody could possibly face during life. It is also the most basic dilemma as well. Now, I would like to know just how views on death could be produced from staring into the carefully formed reality of a computer or television show. How can one possibly learn about these things and form any real thoughts on these topics if not experienced first hand? Even when we see mass violence and death on television it is still at a distance and not really happening to us. When it is at a distance it doesn’t seem real. This holds true for just about everything.
In order to learn anything about being human we need to get rid of our dependency on and obsession with all of these contrivances and reconnect with nature; we need to take down the barriers that we have erected to keep ourselves away; we need to stop seeing ourselves as higher beings (conquerors) and nature as the vanquished foe that we have molded to fit our own needs.
While there are multiple aspects to the environmental crisis that we have been facing (all very important) I believe that changing this ideology of humans as separate and above nature is the most important one to attack. How can we get people to truly want to change their damaging behaviors if they see themselves as separate from and unaffected by earth’s downfall? If people still believe that they are not part of the natural world then they will continue to ignore all the detrimental human activities.
That is why we need to reconnect everyone with the earth, no matter how young or old, race, gender and ethnicity; everyone must reconnect. It seems like a daunting task for one person or for a small group of people to get the whole world to rekindle their love of the planet, but it isn’t. If we start with ourselves and the people around us (family, friends, and colleagues) it will spread like a wild fire. If we change the minds of those around us then they will in turn spread the word to others, those others will spread the word to still more people, and so on. This was the basic premise of my service project: to change the feelings of those around me regarding the human connection to nature.
Right now I believe that the some of the most important people to get to connect with nature are children and young adults because they will be making the decisions about how our country will be run in the near future (when the environmental crisis comes to a head). I also believe that it is important to get them while they are young; to instill a love of the Earth before they have grown so attached to the separatist worldview and to mold their minds and spirits into eco-friendly people who apply environmentally sound ideas and activities to their lives (and to the lives of those around them).
In order to instill a sense of communion with nature children must be brought out into nature. One cannot learn all that nature has to offer and the overwhelming beauty and intricacies of the natural world by simply reading textbooks in classrooms; one must get out into the world and interact with the plants and animals. It is truly mind boggling how children are taught the facts of the scientific, historical, and geographical aspects of our natural world, but rarely are they taught about the sheer beauty and majesty of it, or to appreciate those aspects. Nor do students learn about the existential values of nature or the mystical ways that it connects all living creatures to each other (and possibly to a higher being, depending on each person’s beliefs). Although students learn about conserving the earth (by doing things such as recycling) they do not learn the values or “why do it” reasons behind these specific actions. In my opinion this all harkens back to Kant and his ideology of not valuing the “sentimental” parts of the world and life. Instead, those aspects are devalued.
In
today’s world it is almost impossible to get students out of the classroom
due to legal and financial constraints. I
remember only five or six years ago when my junior high science class was
studying plant and animal life around areas with water, we went on a trip
to
The only other option that children have for making these trips outside of the classroom to examine the natural world is to join scouting or other “after school” activities. There are multiple problems with this, though. Scouts and other youth oriented groups’ images have changed over the years. Both Girl and Boy Scouts used to be seen as organizations that provided serious guidance for young people and places for young people to learn skills that are valuable to living and especially growing to appreciate the world. Sadly though, these organizations are now viewed as places to dump children after school and keep them busy while the parents work horribly long hours to buy the Lexus, Xbox, and Tommy Hilfiger clothing (at least until the children are old enough to become “latchkey kids”). These groups also face the fundamental problems that the schools face regarding legal and monetary issues, but they are resolved in a much easier manner because the troops can conduct fundraisers where the money goes directly to them instead of being sifted through an entire bureaucratic process, as often happens with the schools.
Of course this view of the troop turned day care center does hold true for some of the (few) poorly managed ones, but the majority of scout troops require a great deal of commitment on the parts of the children and parents, and activities do require a lot of work. In fact if one were to examine requirements from Girl Scout badges one can see that the activities can be used well to supplement educational curriculums. There is even a movement that incorporates badge activities into home education programs. As a person who has been a member of the Girl Scout organization for a decade and who has been through multiple levels of scouting I know that there is a full selection of badges and activities for girls to do in order to learn more about nature, the environment, environmental issues and how to connect to nature. From this knowledge I began to formulate an activity that would get a group of younger girls outdoors and connect them to the natural world.
A couple of months ago my mother told me about a problem that was occurring in her troop. The girls were starting to get angry because they weren’t doing anything and they apparently believed that my mother was supposed to plan out all sorts of exciting activities and trips for them, but my mother wouldn’t plan anything. This group of girls has an age range spanning eight years of age to about twelve. When the girls hit about third grade (most of these girls are in fourth at least) they are expected to do the majority of the planning themselves and come up with activities in order to learn how to do things independently. At this point the adult volunteers are merely supposed to be there to supervise, not boss the children around. Upon hearing about the difficulty that my mother was having and combining that with a vague idea for a service project, the ball really started to roll in the direction of a concrete plan.
My
initial idea was to have a weekend long camping trip with multiple activities
that revolved around learning science facts, observation, making low impacts
on an area, conservation of the environment, and just plain getting outside
to experience everything around us. Unfortunately
due to paperwork, logistical, and timing factors, a camping trip was out of
the question. Therefore I changed my
idea to a day trip. With a vague outline in hand I presented the
idea to my mother’s troop. The girls
were on board from the beginning even though the last trip they took did not
go too well. (Last October, the troop
went camping in the
I
asked the girls to look into places around here to conduct a day hike and
there were a few responses such as Turkey Creek in
I gathered materials from the Internet about the areas and the many different trails within them and presented both to the girls as an option. Most of the girls were really intrigued and agreed that they would like to visit these places. I must say that there was a great level of excitement surrounding the planning of this trip because most of the time the only experience of the outdoors that these girls get is going to the overcrowded beaches in the tourist towns of Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach, and Melbourne Beach. I really don’t want to disrespect the beach itself because it is a beautiful place and one can participate in a large amount of low impact activities there, but it does become horribly difficult to enjoy oneself when there is trash everywhere and so many other people around. Besides, a few of the girls in the troop only really enjoy going to the mall, movies, and the beach so I did not want to be rude to them as well.
Essentially the activities that I planned came directly from The Junior Girl Scout Badge Book, as it is a fantastic resource for ideas and I thought that along with this trip the girls should earn a badge or two. The badges simply act as a physical way of showing and expressing what they have learned, since what they learned is in such a non-material form that it can be hard to display. Also, there are a couple of girls in this troop who are planning to move up to the next level of scouts. So I planned to bring along older girls so that they could bond and get to know each other (and pragmatically fill a bridging requirement at the same time). The contents of the badge book are broken down into categories based on the similar content of the badges; badges that relate to each other are grouped together into sections.
While looking through this book I found very many badges that went along with this project under the heading “Let’s Go Outdoors.” In this section I found some familiar badges such as “Eco Action” and I discovered a few newly added badges such as “Your Outdoor Surroundings” (Junior Girl Scout Badge Book, pp. 92- 127 published by GSUSA and First Impression in 2001). In this one section alone I found over ten badges that had activities I thought would be really appropriate for our trip. As I have previously mentioned there were specific types of activities that I wanted the girls to do. I not only wanted them to learn facts about nature such as the names of things and the science of how things work, but I also wanted the girls to take part in activities that would instill a sense of wonder and adventure in them and that would have them reevaluate their values regarding our world. This is why I also consulted badges regarding values, celebrating people, and using nature as a muse for creativity.
In order to teach the girls some “facts” about the Canaveral National Seashore, I went to the National Park Service website and found a wealth of educational information and activities. An interesting find on this website was the Junior Ranger Activity Book (Canaveral National Seashore website, <http://www.nbbd.com/godo/chs/JrRangers>) which turned out to be a short packet that included activities such as a scavenger hunt, “Seashore Bingo,” and crossword puzzles entailing a large number of observations to complete them. A really neat thing about this packet is that when it is completed a child may take it to the information center at the park and receive a signed certificate of completion and a Junior Ranger Decal.
As the scout motto is “Be prepared,” I sat down with the girls to finish up the pre-trip planning. With a wealth of activities and a sense of adventure we were ready for our trip (well almost). We still had to evaluate the trip to see what we needed to bring in order to make it a success. After some deliberation we came up with what I think was a very suitable list. We agreed that in order to keep ourselves safe and protected from the negative parts of being outdoors we would need to bring sunscreen, hats, emergency ponchos, bottles of water, insect repellant, and a few more technological devices (i.e., cell phones, just in case). Bringing along insect repellant was a hard decision to make for us though. We discussed the ramifications of using chemicals not only on ourselves and while interacting with the environment and I must say we were quite conflicted. Eventually we decided to take it along just in case, with the intention to use it only if there was an overwhelming number of mosquitoes. We also felt that it would be a good idea to bring our own bagged lunches so that we could sit out and have a relaxing picnic. After we decided on that it occurred to us that since we were trying to learn how to be more eco-friendly and low impact that we would need to bring means of carrying the garbage from our paper bag lunches. Hence, we needed to bring proper backpacks, in addition to sturdy walking shoes, and comfortable clothing.
When
we looked through the requirements for some of the other badges (such as make
a collage of plants and write a poem about what you see and feel) we realized
that we would also need pens, notebooks, colored pencils, and cameras in order
to have ways to remember the specifics of the trip and to actually have a
well rounded and enlightening trip. After
we finished figuring out what we would bring and how we would get all the
way up to
We
set off early in the morning on a rather overcast first day of spring. Fortunately for us the clouds were only covering
the
While we waited at our starting point in the parking lot of the base [Cape Canaveral Air Force Base?] youth center for a few of the stragglers to arrive, we started a dialogue about what differences we would see or at least start to see take place in plants as they transition from the sleep of winter to the rebirth of spring. It is a bit of a challenge in this state to tell the difference though, as the seasons bring relatively few changes through the year. At least it appears so to the not-so-critical eye.
In a rather comedic fashion it took us quite a long time to arrive at our destination due to the fact that, first, neither I or the two adults that came along on the trip were familiar with northern Brevard, and second, the park itself covers such a vast area (and also overlaps into the Merrit Island Wildlife Refuge) that it becomes a bit of a challenge to navigate, especially for those without much knowledge of the outlying areas.
Unfortunately the information center and two of the specific trails that we had hoped to go to are located in another county. Due to this we had to change the trails on our itinerary due to Girl Scout policy and legality restrictions. We are required to go through much more red tape for trips out of the county. This includes waiting an extra two to four weeks for approval, which would have been too late for this project. We made it work though.
When we found the road that leads to the information center for the Merrit Island Refuge we discovered a very nice, quiet trail that happened to be a Scrub Jay habitat. When we arrived at this trail we found a display in the area underneath a pavilion that talked about prescription burns. The girls were fascinated by the fact that people actually come out to this area (as well as many other areas) and intentionally set fires in order to HELP the ecosystems. It took some time to explain that fire is a necessary part of the environment that helps initiate change and new growth out of its powerfully destructive force. A useful imagery for explaining this concept was that of the phoenix. The phoenix represents new birth, caused by fire itself. The phoenix bursts into flames when it is ready to die and then is born again from the ashes. This is very much on par with the trees dying in the flames and then returning to life from the remains over time.
One of the girls also shared a brief, impromptu presentation on the Scrub Jay which was quite intriguing as well. She had done a report on this bird for school and knew quite a bit about it. As neither the girls nor I had ever heard of this type bird it was interesting to learn that it was a threatened species. It is so hard to believe that so many species of animals are threatened or near extinction, yet we never ever hear about it. This kind of knowledge is blocked from the majority of the public because major media outlets refuse to talk about it. This is something that needs to change drastically and immediately because people need to know about our environmental crisis and what is causing it.
After having lunch in this pavilion we proceeded to take a walk down the trail. What an amazing trail it was too! While walking the approximately half to three quarters of a mile long trail we saw so many beautiful wild flowers, plants and different kinds of birds; it was just stunning. Now the trail wasn’t as diverse as I had hoped (the types of plants and the amount of growth didn’t change too drastically while we walked through) and unfortunately there were not too many large trees or a canopy, but it was still quite beautiful. I had hoped that the trail would have multiple levels of growth (such as the ground level brush and a canopy) so as to show the girls how plants protect and coexist with each other.
What we saw was mostly shorter trees and bushes, and some tall, dry grass. The few taller palm trees that we did see were mostly homes to woodpeckers. It was quite interesting to see that with the trees that were home to woodpeckers the tops all seemed to be sawed off completely (there were absolutely no leaves or anything on them). In addition to seeing the woodpeckers and their homes we also saw a few Scrub Jays. At first it was a bit hard to spot them as they flew and hopped from branch to branch on the intertwined trees, but after a while we were able to several of them up close. Towards the end of the trail we were able to get within three or four feet of a Scrub Jay which was close enough to see the little metal bands on their feet.
After some discussion we came to the conclusion that they were tracking devices that were placed on their feet so that the park rangers can keep track of them and make sure that they are safe. This led us into a very interesting dialogue about protecting endangered species. Going back to our previous discussion on the status of the Scrub Jay it was kind of hard for the girls to really understand the seriousness of their threatened situation due to the fact that they had seen perhaps ten of these birds in one spot in a relatively short amount of time. It was just difficult to process the fact that this bird that seemed to be in abundance in this one place actually faced serious threats to its survival overall. Unfortunately this is the plight that faces the Scrub Jay.
When we finally reached the end of the trail, right along the Mosquito Lagoon, we were able to sit for a while and watch the water. After some time we started to see a large flock of white birds come through the area (although we have yet to figure out exactly what kind of bird they were). In the distance the girls also believe that they may have seen a Pink Flamingo. I’m unsure as to whether or not they saw this bird, but I was happy to see how exited they were at the thought of seeing it at least. That was quite pleasant. I found out later that it was probably a roseate spoonbill.
After our hike through the Scrub Jay habitat trail we headed toward the beach to examine a different type of ecosystem. We ended up at a beach that was nearby but unfortunately it was crowded with tourists and local beachgoers. I had hoped to get the girls away from other people for a while so that they could see nature without outside interference. The girls, however, seemed to ignore everyone else around. They read about the different kinds of animals that live in the ocean and on the beach, they looked for seashells, and splashed around in the water for a bit. I think they enjoyed going to the beach the most of all the activities that we did (mostly because it was quite warm out that day and the water was really refreshing).
While we were on our trip two very interesting things happened. The first was actually quite an intriguing dilemma. In scouts we have a motto regarding outdoor activities: “Take only pictures, leave only footprints.” Now this is quite a difficult concept to deal with when one is trying to get children to be “hands on” with natural elements. The part about not leaving anything but footprints is not hard to fight ideologically because that means don’t leave trash or other man made things while hiking. Yet when one says don’t take anything but pictures, then being hands on becomes really difficult. How exactly can a child learn about the smell of a flower or the texture of a tree’s bark if she is not allowed to touch it? I understand that this means that one shouldn’t knock down trees or kidnap animals, but how does it really apply effectively to something like picking a wild flower or a blade of grass? How can one effectively balance not destroying or taking away from nature with being one with nature and getting a hands on education within nature? This is a difficult task that we tried very hard to deal with.
When we encountered the Scrub Jays we knew that it was very important not to get so close as to disturb nests and it is also important to not touch wild animals not only for their safety but for one’s own safety. In this context we only took pictures. With the flowers though, that was a different thing all together. The girls wanted to make scrap books of things that they found while on the trail, but we were all really torn between leaving the flowers and picking them to put in the books. While on the trail we saw a variety of colorful flowers that we had never seen before (including some brilliant red ones that looked quite similar to sun flowers). Eventually we decided to only pick one of each flower we saw so that we could feel the texture and smell them. We felt that it would be better to draw what they looked like in our notebooks.
The
other interesting thing that happened while we were out on our adventure was
the launch of a rocket from the
Yet how exactly does this scientific achievement really affect the human condition? Does it give any insight to the biggest of existential questions such as who is responsible for our creation or how we were created? No. Does it provide an answer to why we are here (in general)? No, although the space program does provide jobs for many people especially in this area, does it provide us with any guidance as to how to interact with the planet and our fellow human beings? I don’t think so. It does, however, show how high human ingenuity is (in a rather negative, sadly negative way, though).
If we can find ways to send millions of pounds of metal out of the atmosphere then why can’t we come up with more ecologically sound ways of transportation or to house people or to recycle materials? The only thing blocking our way from doing these things is the basic ideologies of people. Before we can come up with any means of “technological salvation” (which unfortunately some people think is the only thing we need) we need to change our basic thought patterns. How can we be motivated to change the ways in which we live if we don’t believe that there is a reason to do so? We cannot be motivated to use any means of technology to help the environment if we are not willing to reevaluate the ways in which we view the Earth. We also can’t preach a way of life unless we truly live that way as well. It is as Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world” (from the Eclectic Inspiration website http://www.eclecticinspiration.com/quotes/prov7.html).
In order to change the ways in which we view the Earth we need to break down the barriers we have erected between ourselves and nature. We need to get back outside! Instead of trying so hard to stay indoors we need to open our eyes and see all the wonderful things that are just out there waiting to be enjoyed. The ideology that a rich life involves having all kinds of electric appliances to entertain us needs to change to a wanting to do outdoor activities. Instead of sitting around watching television, one should go for walks or surf (which are both low impact activities).
Our mentality of nature as a foe that is conquered (or is in the process of being conquered) needs to be eradicated as well. How can we possibly live as one with the planet or feel the need to take care of the planet if we still believe that it is subject to our will and we can do what ever we please with it? The reality is that the planet could get along just fine without us if we were never here. In light of all of the horrible things that we have done to the planet though, it is now dependent on us to change our beliefs regarding it. If we do not change our destructive behavior and ideologies then the planet will not be able to recover. The survival of our planet is threatened because we are so resistant to change. Many people hold the idea that we do not need to care for the planet because we are the ones in charge. This idea is supported by The Bible, as Ron Leifer pointed out in his book The Happiness Project. Leifer says that in the book of Genesis Adam and Eve were given the ability of language, which they use to name the animals. Naming the animals is a sign of dominance on the part of humans (p165 of The Happiness Project, published by Snow Lion Publications in 1997). Unfortunately this one verse is taken out of context by people who think that this is evidence to support complete domination of the (nonhuman) Earth.
There
are other parts in The Bible that support an eco-friendly ideology. Andrew Linzey makes the point that another verse
in The Bible demands that humans be vegetarians as animals are part of the
one world of living creatures; the same world as humans, as they are all God’s
creation (“The Theological Basis of Animal Rights” by Andrew Linzey, p357
of This Sacred Earth anthology). This command to be vegetarian was also present
in the Pythagorean order in ancient
Not only is the survival of the planet threatened but our survival is threatened as well. If the planet is not able to take care of us anymore then we can basically say goodbye to life and our existence in the future. If any person has any compassion for anything besides his or her own self and any care as to the future of our world and ourselves then he or she must initiate changes in ideology and behavior NOW! This may seem a bit anthropocentric, but there is no way around that. Our bodies, minds, ideologies, values and so on enforce the need for self preservation and the only way to do so is to preserve the planet. Not only should we want to save the planet for ourselves, but we should also want to do it for the planet’s sake too. We are all linked together the welfare of everything on this planet is completely dependent on everything else that is here. With this project I wanted to plant the seed of change within each of the girls. I wanted to get them to learn a little bit more about the outdoors and to have fun outside. I think that for the most part it was a success because the girls did have a lot of fun (even while learning) and I think that each of them now has the foundation within them to build up a deep appreciation for nature.
As I started with a quote I would like to end with a poem written by Emily Dickinson entitled “Nature, The Gentlest Mother.” I believe that reading and examining works of art that are inspired by nature and express love for nature provide a wonderful means to instill love of the Earth into others. This is a belief that I hold dear because I think that the way poetry (as well as other art forms) expresses love for the Earth, in a way that is free from reason, really gets to the meaning of love of the Earth. There is such a lack of reason behind so much poetry that many poets even make up words because we are at such a loss within the confines of linguistics!
“Nature, The Gentlest Mother.”
Nature, the gentlest mother,
Impatient of no child,
The feeblest or the waywardest,
Her admonition mild
In forest and the hill
By traveler is heard,
Restraining rampant squirrel
Or too impetuous bird.
How fair her conversation,
A summer afternoon,—
Her household, her assembly;
And when the sun goes down
Her voice among the aisles
Incites the timid prayer
Of the minutest cricket,
The most unworthy flower.
When all the children sleep
She turns as long away
As will suffice to light her lamps;
Then, bending from the sky
With infinite affection
And infinite care,
Her golden finger on her lip,
Wills silence everywhere.
This poem can be located at the About.com website on poems about nature:
<http://quotations.about.com/cs/poemlyrics/a/Nature_The_Gent.htm?terms=famous+poems+about+nature>.