By Bill Crain
The Earth needs her trees. They prevent soil erosion, absorb pollutants, clean water, and provide homes for wildlife. By absorbing carbon dioxide, they reduce global warming. In the process, they release a significant amount of the oxygen that animals breathe. Indeed, land animals (including human beings) might not even exist if it weren’t for the oxygen trees provide. As the Scottish poet John Wright wrote, “every time you breathe in/thank a tree.”
But whereas some ancient and indigenous societies worshipped trees, ours generally views them as disposable things. When homeowners want to make room for a patio or an addition, they have the trees removed. In 2022, then-President Biden called for regulations to preserve old-growth forests on federal lands, but his effort failed. Logging interests prevailed.
How can we increase the protection of trees? We might disseminate more information about their value, but I doubt this alone will be effective. Our society also needs more passionate feelings for them. I therefore suggest we direct our attention to the one set of people who are spontaneously enthusiastic about trees: children.
Many adults have observed children’s fondness for trees. They have noticed, for example, that children frequently include them (as well as nature in general) in their drawings.
A very detailed picture of children’s attraction to trees emerged from two studies in the 1970s. Researchers Roger Hart and Robin Moore observed children who had access to lush natural settings—Hart in a rural New England town, Moore in a nature area in a Berkeley, California, schoolyard. The children loved to climb trees, build tree houses in their branches, and create model roads and towns in the soft dirt near their roots. The children sat under them to relax and think and felt strong bonds with particular trees. Trees gave them peace and comfort.
Such experiences can have a lasting impact. Psychologist Louise Chawla and others have found that adults who try to protect the environment usually trace their motivation to their enjoyment of nature in childhood and adolescence. They view these pleasurable experiences as more influential than anything they learned about the environment in school or from TV or the media. The only factor that comes close in importance is a family member’s confirmation that nature is precious.
Over the last half century, however, children’s access to nature has shrunk. Woods and meadows have given way to manicured landscapes, malls, and parking lots. Children currently spend most of their free time indoors, watching TV, surfing the Internet, and playing video games. I doubt that many spend enough time in nature to develop deep affection for her—the kind of affection that will motivate them to protect her in adulthood.
Still, change might be in the air. Health professionals are warning about addiction to screens, and there is a budding interest in giving children more exposure to nature. I hope this interest grows into a movement and many adults take part in it. They can take children to parks, woods, and nature centers. They also can just walk with children around neighborhoods and investigate the trees and life forms they see. Chawla notes that adults are often most helpful when they accompany children for the sake of their safety while giving them freedom to initiate their explorations. I bet most children will enjoy these outings, and many will develop a lasting love of trees and the natural world.
I realize we might not be able to wait for a new generation of nature-loving children to grow up and protect the biosphere. The threats—especially from global warming–may be too immediate. But we don’t need to pin all our hopes on children themselves. As the educator Lillian Weber emphasized, grownups can learn from them. They can pick up children’s enthusiasm and attitudes.
An example of this process occurred when Narda Nelson and Denise Hodgins ran a forest preschool program in Canada. The adults observed that the children gave trees names like “Grandma Tree” and “Waiting Log.” After this, one teacher said, “I can’t look at trees the same way anymore. I find it harder and harder to think about trees in general terms. We know some of these trees as individuals!”
I am raising the possibility, then, that adults who accompany children in nature activities will come to share the children’s attitudes. These adults will then be motivated to protect trees and the environment. Inspired by children, they might raise new banners for conservation.
Bill Crain is an emeritus professor of psychology at the City College of New York and a DEY National Advisor. He wrote another version of this essay in the August 7 issue of The East Hampton Star.
