Friends of Enchanted Rock- Clean up day

"The Friends of Enchanted Rock (FOER) is a volunteer based, non-profit organization committed to the preservation, protection and improvement of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area.  Our mission is to work in partnership with Texas Parks and Wildlife to maintain and protect the natural beauty of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area for future generations to enjoy." http://www.friendsofenchantedrock.com/about-us

On the weekend of May 6th, I went down to Enchanted Rock to help the Friends clean up the park. We walked around the entire are, picking up bottles, paper towels, things brought there by a combination of wind, laziness, and a lack of courtesy. This was such an amazing experience!

The coordinator, Scott Harris, was so passionate about the park. He wasn't mad at the people for leaving their trash. He said that, "You can't get mad at someone for ignorance." He blamed the problem on a lack of education, stating that children are raised thinking there is always someone to pick up after them, and that mindset carries over to their daily activites. He said instead of being mad that they left their trash, we should be thankful that they came to the park. He went on to talk about "Nature Deficit Disorder"

"A lack of routine contact with nature may result in stunted academic and developmental growth. This unwanted side-effect of the electronic age is called Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD). The term was coined by author Richard Louv in his book Last Child in the Woods in order to explain how our societal disconnect with nature is affecting today's children. Louv says we have entered a new era of suburban sprawl that restricts outdoor play, in conjunction with a plugged-in culture that draws kids indoors." -http://www.education.com/facts/quickfacts-ndd/what-is-nature-deficit-disorder/

Scott explained that although the term was coined from a book, it still poses a major problem. A couple of months ago, Jeff Corwin came to town and I was lucky enough to get an interview with him to talk about how we view nature today.



As Corwin explained, we have to encourage kids to get outdoors. Scott Harris said, "The more someone appreciates something, the more likely they are to protect it." That's what I wanted to get out of my trip. I wanted to learn to appreciate nature more, so that I could help protect it. By cleaning the park, we made someones trip more enjoyable. That someone will go back and talk about their enjoyable trip and the chain reaction happens. By working with the Friends of Enchanted Rock, I am helping find the cure to "Nature Deficit Disorder." One case at a time.