All you need is a bucket and a net.

Josh and Leanne circa 2001.  At the beach during a camping trip.

The natural world is an amazing place.  It is full of all kinds of wonders and things to discover.  A caterpillar on the finger, a butterfly on a flower, or a bug in the water.  Each living thing holds its own beauty and celebration of creation.  And to explore them, all that is needed is a bucket and a net.

Although electronics have taken away much of our children's curiosity about the living things that make up our surroundings, there is still the opportunity to get them interested in nature.  You don't have to be there, but it helps.  It is important that children learn the value of nature, to be gentle with the creatures they handle and to learn something of their natural world.  It helps to show them that you are curious about it too and that learning is something you can spend a lifetime doing.

Whenever I have been on a walk with my kids, we always would explore what was around us.  It wasn't exactly my son's cup of tea (he would rather channel his inner D'artagnan with a stick), but my daughter was always engaged by it all.  Regardless of the level of interest, being exposed to the outdoors was good for both of them and has given them both a healthy respect for the environment.  

Eric (right) and Leanne (left) holding different species of lizards.

Start them young and help them to appreciate and respect the natural world around them.  You don't need much, a bucket and a net will do.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com


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