Life Without Nature
Research suggests that children who live disconnected from nature suffer poorer mental, physical and psychological health. Some hope school gardens will heal bonds severed between children and the natural environment.
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The raised garden beds behind Dawes Elementary School grow vegetables and herbs. Photo courtesy of Lynn Hyndman |
It’s humid inside the greenhouse, and the rich, earthy fragrance of healthy soil permeates the air. Plastic stretched around the metal structure lends an extra four degrees of warmth, allowing fragile, leafy greens to grow during Michigan winters.
Ten elementary school students, two each from grades first through fifth, chatter excitedly as they move between the beds of lettuce and radishes. Their small fingers reach into the wet mass of greens, cutting leaves off one by one with safety scissors to drop into the waiting collection bags.
This is Gunnisonville Elementary School in Lansing, Mich., — a school of children primarily from urban, low-income families, and where 58 percent of students are on the federal free or reduced-cost lunch program. The existence of the greenhouse is due largely to Laurie Thorp, director of the Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment (RISE) program at Michigan State University. The teachers at Gunnisonville use the greenhouse and a garden in lessons to provide a taste of fresh food to the students and to heal the bonds severed between children and the natural environment.
“I have become more and more aware that the children have a very fuzzy concept of how the land is connected to them,” said teach Lisa Prebeck in Thorp’s 2005 book, “The Pull of the Earth.” “Place is absent from their lives.”
But the positive psychological benefits of this exposure may be even more significant than most people realize. A pool of research in environmental psychology shows that life without nature can have serious repercussions.
Effortless Fascination
There are two types of attention, according to Stephen Kaplan, a researcher at the University of Michigan who fathered Attention Restoration Theory.
Voluntary attention, or directed attention, is the kind used when one has to concentrate or focus on something that may not inherently draw attention. Examples include driving in heavy traffic or taking an exam.
Involuntary attention, or fascination, is paid to things or environments that are inherently interesting or easy to pay attention to.
Problems occur when people use only directed attention, without any fascination, for long periods of time. The brain becomes fatigued from blocking distractions, often leading to distractible, irritable and impulsive behavior. Fascination, on the other hand, requires no effort, and therefore does not cause fatigue.
Fascination may allow the brain to recover from over-exerting its directed attention behaviors, Kaplan said. A daily dose of fascination is a great idea for anyone — from the frazzled office worker to the burnt-out student — but gazing at a cute coworker for a couple of hours isn’t going to cut it. There are certain criteria an object or an environment needs to meet for the recovery process to be successful — and nature is the only thing that has those qualifications in spades.
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The Dawes Elementary School garden in Evanston, Ill., features a native prairie. Photo courtesy of Lynn Hyndman |
But while the simple presence of nature makes a significant difference for both adults and children, it seems children have the most to lose when cut off from it. The home environment makes a huge impact on both the physical and psychological health of a child. Research shows a much higher incidence of psychological distress, behavioral problems and physical ailments in children living in poor, urban environments. But research also shows that natural elements in the home — even a simple view of nature — greatly increases cognitive functioning in children, while also increasing their ability to combat stress.
The availability of natural areas for play is also an important factor missing in the lives of urban children. According to research in Environment and Behavior, a peer-reviewed research journal, “Contact with nature supports children’s general well-being by providing children with privacy and mental and sensory stimulation.”
The implications for children with attention disorders, such as ADD and ADHD, are even more significant. According to further research in Environment and Behavior: “Children with ADD can support their attentional functioning and minimize their symptoms simply by spending time in green settings.”
Without access to nature, journalist Richard Louv says children will suffer from “nature-deficit disorder.”
Cities are slowly cleaning up their act by planting trees and starting community gardens, but for children who still aren’t getting a healthy dose of nature at home, school might be the only option available. It’s a good place to start, said Andrea Faber Taylor at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign: “Schools could be a great source for contact with nature, nature activities and learning about nature. I think it’s important for kids to be out in nature, doing hands-on activities and getting the opportunity to do what they want and discover it on their own — that’s where a true love of nature comes from.”
The Healing Garden
“The kids are always focused in the garden, but today it’s unusually good,” notes Lynn Hyndman as she watches half of the fifth grade class cut back the dead plants in the prairie. The small patch of native prairie, as well as a butterfly garden and five raised beds behind Dawes Elementary School in Evanston, Ill., are solely the work of this retired science teacher, whose tireless efforts have made the school garden a reality at this urban school.
“When they’re out in the garden, the kids are always engaged,” Hyndman said. There are a variety of tasks the children may undertake, from cleaning up litter to harvesting their own vegetables. Though the original intent of the garden was to get the kids exposed to fresh food, teachers are beginning to realize what an invaluable learning tool the garden can be.
“You can do every subject in the garden,” says Teresa Morris, a fifth grade teacher at Dawes Elementary. “Math, science, reading, writing, art. We usually split the class in half. One half will do a math lesson where they might measure the dimensions of the beds. The other half will sit on the benches and sketch or write stories.”
Hyndman opens the door to a small shed where the tools are kept, brings out a bag and calls the kids over to deposit their clippers and gloves. Though it’s a cold, blustery day, some of the children seem reluctant to leave. One student in particular is stubbornly continuing to cut, though shivering because he is not adequately dressed for the weather. According to teachers, this smart boy is often overlooked because his talents and abilities do not show up on standardized tests. But the joy and freedom he experiences working in the garden is apparent on his face, and as the kids deposit their tools one by one and run back toward the building, he asks, “Can we keep going?”
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Sarah Kozicki is a MSU junior majoring in environmental studies and applications. This is her first appearance in EJ. Reach her at kozicki2@msu.edu.
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