ANN’S WINDOW TO NATURE

By Eagan Store Manager ANN MCCARTHY

The phrase, “the good ol’ days,” means something different to everyone, and depends largely on age. To me as a 60+ year-old woman, the good ol’ days were wistful, carefree days spent outside. I remember birds, butterflies, bees, and fireflies. I remember diggin’ in the dirt looking for worms, catching turtles, frogs, and snakes, building forts, and just spending time outside. Play and exploration were the norm for most of us then.

Today, our kids spend less and less time outside. They are supervised and structured from dawn till dusk. They are physically attached and solely dependent on their smart phones for everything, resulting in a “phone-based childhood” devoid of play, discovery, and opportunities for real relationships with others and with nature.

Recently, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, published “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.” In it, he issues a call to action with four simple rules to help our children. In a nutshell, the rules focus on phone free periods and more play.

Summer would be a wonderful time to unplug, slow down, and consciously revisit the good ole’ days by getting kids outside. There are several initiatives and outreach projects and programs designed to get kids outside and to foster a connection with nature. You can make a difference in your family and in your own backyard by creating a small backyard conservation area, which will connect your family to nature and benefit wildlife including songbirds.

Easy, Can-Do Steps to establishing a backyard conservation area in your yard:

• Hang a bird feeder.
• Hang a bird house.
• Set up a birdbath.
• Build a brush pile where birds can find cover.
• Plant some clover for bees and butterflies.
• Limit pesticides.

Establishing a small backyard conservation area in your yard will help your family slow down. Additionally, it will provide a much-needed sense of accomplishment in terms of helping combat environmental issues i.e. climate concerns and habitat degradation.

Lots of little backyard conservation areas will add up and provide much needed habitat for wildlife. A small patch of ground could provide you and your family with your very own “window to nature.”

Visit us at All Seasons Wild Bird Store for more information on creating a backyard conservation area in your yard.

Photos by Ann McCarthy