Children need
experiences in nature that allow them to form connection, affinity, and
ultimately love for the natural world. These experiences are termed as
“transcendent experiences,” and are more important than learning facts about
nature and are actually prerequisites for environmental concern. Simply put,
“Talking to trees and hiding in trees precedes saving trees.” One of the things
I am very aware of is the capacity for the earth to heal the wounded soul. This
was my experience when I had a little daughter so loving. My husband is really
violent and I was powerless to protect her. Fortunately we lived in a
farmhouse, the real farmhouse. Even before she went to school, she spent every
valuable moment in the bushes of the farmhouse, as it was the only safe place.
Nobody could hurt her there and she was used to sleep there and never felt
alone. Funnily enough was the one thing she was allowed to do. Every day she
had lot of works to do. To feed the cows, pick vegetables from the kitchen
garden and so on. She used to hang up on the mango, berry trees and pick
mangoes and berries.
She managed to make a
playing circle of stone and used to curl up in it and feel protected. It was a
magical spot for her. She used to lie down in the centre and look upwards at
the clouds. After a while she would go into a kind of trance-like-state. She
believe that it was the severity of the family experience which opened up the
possibility of this interesting nature connection. To cope with the terror,
nature not only provided her with protection and refuge, it also acted as a
kind of responsible parent, and she had that awareness. She listened to the
music whispered by the charming winds. Spongy grass was a Persian rug for her.
The colour of spirit nature was her teacher. She was in love with us but her
love for nature was amazing. She was gifted happiness, hope, love, success from
nature only. In short that farmhouse, garden, trees and bushes were her
invisible world.
