Wordsmith
My friend Richard Louv loves to write. At least I think he must love it because he writes – a lot – and for a lot of different organizations and publications. I really admire the fact that he has this amazing ability to tell stories, he is gifted at using words and he can paint a picture of images and ideas he wants to share by using language. In one of his latest articles he talks about how to use technology while in nature – what a great idea! He talks about how children today can develop what he calls ‘hybrid minds’. “That means maximizing the benefits of electronics (at an appropriate age) while nurturing the full use of the senses through frequent experiences in the natural world.” There are ways to use technology to our advantage outdoors. Take a photo of an animal in its habitat then go home and draw it or paint it. Collect data from outside on your favourite birds maybe and then be part of the Great Backyard Bird Count in Canada and enter your findings on-line to help keep track of all the species in your area. Document changes in your local environment with a digital camera to help educate others about important conservation issues. Rich says, it’s all in the way we use technology; it’s about our choices. If you want to read more about what this article is saying, just click here. And here’s another short article that might get you thinking. It’s called Today’s Challenges, Tomorrow’s Progress. He writes about the possibility of this being a especially creative time in history because of the environmental issues we are faced with – what do YOU think?