Other species help children develop empathy.

A lot of people think they need to give up nature to become adults but that's not true. However, you have to be careful how you describe and define 'nature.'

In an effort to value and structure time, some of us unintentionally may be killing dreamtime.

Too often, small towns invaded by urban expatriates lose their character and physical beauty to overdevelopment.

Parents are told to turn off the TV and restrict video game time, but we hear little about what the kids should do physically during their non-electronic time. The usual suggestion is organized sports. But consider this: The obesity epidemic coincides with the greatest increase in organized children’s sports in history.

The physical exercise and emotional stretching that children enjoy in unorganized play is more varied and less time-bound than is found in organized sports. Playtime – especially.

As we grow more separate from nature, we continue to separate from one another physically.

What if a tree fell in the forest and no one knew it’s biological name? Did it exist?

Unlike television, nature does not steal time; it amplifies it. Nature offers healing for a child living in a destructive family or neighborhood.

While outdoor activities in general help, settings with trees and grass are the most beneficial.