Adults are challenged by a growing awareness that the earth is our home and we have to take care of it for ourselves and for future generations.  However, we are presented with an even greater responsibility:  teaching those future generations now how to be gentle on the planet, appreciate our earth as a force for life, and work to reverse the damage caused by those that have gone before.

Do what it takes to make your children aware of the inter-connectedness of life.  Animals need plants.  Plants need animals.  No species should be taken for granted.  No step is too small to make an impact.  If you have children or grandchildren in your life, then there are a few places that you can take them that will demonstrate the importance of caring for the earth.  Make it a field trip.  Go often.

My children picking (and eating) strawberries.

• a Family Farm – Children used to be a part of growing and raising the food that they ate.  Today, many children believe that the “origin” of food is the grocery store.  Children might never believe that all food begins in the dirt.  See if the family farm you visit offers a chance to dig up a radish or carrot.
• a CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) – You may not live within distance of one of these.  If not, count yourself lucky.  The waste alone, from hundreds or even thousands of confined animal is enormous.  I grew up in Kansas where there are many farm factories and often smelled the “feed lot” before I reached it.  A good look at a CAFO is a pretty convincing reason to start looking for pasture-fed beef or cage-free eggs and chicken.  It may cost more, but these animals are raised responsibly.
• a Garden Nursery – Children may believe, based on their experiences at the grocery store, that there is one kind of tomato or one kind of rose.  A nursery is a great place to witness the incredible variety of nature.  Variety truly is the spice of life and it is important that we are a contributing factor to the survival of choice.  How boring (and unnatural) to have only 1 kind of potato to choose from.  Different species tolerate different climates and altitudes.
• a Dump or Landfill – This is the place where we see our trash in action (or inaction).  In a dump, children will witness the piles and piles of trash and debris that have begun in the factories, made their way to the grocery stores, found themselves in someone’s home, and now await their fate in the dump.  They may be in for a long wait.  Some trash will take hundreds of years to breakdown.  Some may never breakdown, but will contribute to the growing piles that have no where to go.  A dump drives home the idea of recycling.  If we reduce our garbage waste, reuse and repurpose when we are able, and recycle the things that we can (paper, glass, metal, plastic), then the dumps will grow more slowly and less aggressively.
• a Zoo or Aquarium – Modern zoos and aquariums are not just for our amusement.  Many of them today are set up to become education centers and safe havens for rare animals.  A zoo or aquarium is an opportunity to view some of the amazing creatures with whom we share our planet.  They eat, they care for their young, they play, they sleep.  When humans infringe on their natural habitats, then we must be caretakers so these animals don’t disappear.
• a Forest – Trees have a great many benefits and qualities:  they are shelters to some, they are food for some, they offer us shade, they make a wonderful playground, and above all they give us air to breathe.  A forest is the perfect place to witness the important role that trees play in the lives of all living things.

What places teach you the most about being aware of our planet?  In what ways do you teach your children?  What earth-friendly practices have you begun to establish in your home and family?