What may happen now that so many more children are denied exposure to wilderness than at any other time in human history?
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
More than half of American children get their environmental information from the media, according to the authors, who find this a disturbing trend. In alternating essays, conservation biologist Nabham ( Gathering the Desert ) and Trimble ( Great Sand Dunes ) examine the needs of children to experience nature firsthand. Each author draws on his childhood experiences: Nabham's among the steel mills and sand dunes of Gary, Ind., and Trimble's travels in the West with his geologist father. They describe how their own children react to the world of nature and look at Southwest Indian cultures that are closely tied to nature. Trimble speaks to three-generations of a ranch family in Nevada; Nabham visits an extended family on a Mexican ranch. Observing social activities on school playgrounds, Trimble discovers more interaction between the sexes on grassy areas than on bare asphalt. This thoughtful presentation, testifying to children's need for direct contact with nature, has value for parents and those who work with children. Photos.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Two fathers, both seasoned naturalists, earnestly convey their love of the land and their experiences imparting that love to their young children. They rue the fact so many children lack such opportunities. "When we don't grow up meeting lizards, snakes, and frogs, we have no way to recognize their vitality and dignity, nor the continuity between them and us." Often, the naivet{‚}e of these authors is as moving as their paternal reflections. Theirs is definitely not another how-to-collect-leaves-with-your-toddler book, and it raises questions that are not easily answered. With all their seriousness, however, Nabhan and Trimble still offer many delightful scenes of enjoying the wilderness with their families. Denise Perry Donavin
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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More About the Author
Stephen Trimble has received a broad range of awards for his photography, his non-fiction, and his fiction, including: The Sierra Club's Ansel Adams Award for photography and conservation; The National Cowboy Museum's Western Heritage "Wrangler" Award; and a Doctor of Humane Letters from his alma mater, Colorado College, honoring his efforts to increase our understanding of Western landscapes and peoples and his choice to remain a stubborn generalist. As writer, editor, and photographer Trimble has published twenty-two books, including: Bargaining for Eden: The Fight for the Last Open Spaces in America * Lasting Light: 125 Years of Grand Canyon Photography * The Geography of Childhood: Why Children Need Wild Places (with Gary Paul Nabhan) * The Sagebrush Ocean: A Natural History of the Great Basin * The People: Indians of the American Southwest * and * Talking With the Clay: the Art of Pueblo Pottery in the 21st Century. Trimble makes his home in Salt Lake City and in the redrock country of Torrey, Utah. Trimble's website is www.stephentrimble.net.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
By Tim Pudoff
Format:Paperback
Gary Nabhan and Stephen Trimble have penned a fine collection of essays on how children perceive and play in their environment. References are made to psychological studies that support a child's need for wild places, but the real value I see in this book comes from the authors' own anecdotal experiences with their children. If you are a parent of small children, you will especially enjoy the ideas you will get for places to take children to play and explore. Read this book and you will begin to learn why children need to experience wild places. And why, as adults, if we share the "hands-on" experiences with our kids, our own connection to the landscape becomes more deeply rooted.
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By B. Wheeler
Format:Paperback
At first glance, this book seems to be another in a long line of published material telling parents how to be good parents. But it really seemed like a personal reflection of what makes life great through a child's eyes. Instead of trying to raise a child through adult methods, this book shows that through simply remembering what being a child was and why it was fun is enough to help you understand what your child is thinking. Through this understanding, you will become a great parent. I was very pleased with my purchase and recommend this book to anyone that has had any contact with children.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Jeff
Format:Paperback
Nabhan and Trimble show us a world of wilderness that too often are denied our children. Discussing their own experiences as well as those of their children, they give the reader a great appreciation for nature and for childhood. As Nabhan puts it, "The playful exploration of habitat by cohorts of children... [has] been essential to child development for over a million years" (p. 83). An excellent book that has helped inspire my preschool center to add some natural elements to our playground.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Geography of Childhood is a collection of essays that inspired me, as a parent, to slow down and enjoy the smaller and often ignored parts of childhood. I've caught myself on many occasions encouraging my child to "look at the view" and take in an entire landscape. This book reminded me to look at him as well, to watch him dig at the dirt or find a funny-shaped rock. "Learning Herps" was my favorite essay, I love the visual images it creates of children catching lizards and parents finding delightful surprises in the bathtub.
By Word
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
As a child I spent thousands of hours outside in my backyard and in the park behind my house. I love the idea that nature is an integral part of a child's life, probably because that's exactly how I felt about my childhood.
By rsm
Format:Paperback
Gorgeous reflections about children and nature written with strong awareness of culture, gender, privilege and more. Well-written, interesting, informative. I teach gardening at an urban after-school program, and this has enriched my lesson-planning and will inspire the design of our garden.
By JaredM
Format:Paperback
This book is filled with wonderful personal reflections of why it is important to provide kids with access to wild place. The last chapter, "Sing me down the mountain", is alone worth the price of the book and caused this grown up boy to tear up. I enjoyed Stephen Trimble's stories greatly.
This book transported me to times with my family as a child and as a father on camping trips, fishing expeditions, hikes, and retreats--times that reside in the corner of my mind where only the bright and fond memories are found.
The book had a bent towards environmentalism as an eco-faith and devoted a chapter to how natural places should subvert gender stereotypes and distinctions. Although I disagree with these premises I can easily read past this, and the book was worth doing so. I will recommend this to friends and family.
"If we can be sufficiently patient, we adults can partake a little in our children's journey." -Stephen Trimble
This book transported me to times with my family as a child and as a father on camping trips, fishing expeditions, hikes, and retreats--times that reside in the corner of my mind where only the bright and fond memories are found.
The book had a bent towards environmentalism as an eco-faith and devoted a chapter to how natural places should subvert gender stereotypes and distinctions. Although I disagree with these premises I can easily read past this, and the book was worth doing so. I will recommend this to friends and family.
"If we can be sufficiently patient, we adults can partake a little in our children's journey." -Stephen Trimble
8 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By dragondazd
Format:Paperback
As the reader breebree mentioned, it is more of a reflection and definitely not a guide to parenting. I found this book to have interesting insights as the authors thought back to their childhoods with a different perspective, and observed the reactions of their children and those of others to their landscape. There were a bunch of cute little nostalgic tales but not a lot of impact. There are messages in there, but they're diffuse. I wish they had put more emphasis on their points or otherwise offered a more concrete discussion than just offering personal examples, muse a bit, and leave it there. It gave enough perspective to discuss our childhoods in small groups but beyond that I didn't find much use for this book.
I was even more disappointed when I discovered that many of Nabhan's stories were presented in Cultures of Habitiat, a book tat was printed later but I had read first.
This is a rambling, musing, anecdotal, diffusely reflective book. Not my cup of tea.
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