Despite all the doom and gloom you hear about in Washington, with regards to our debt ceiling and our bloated budget, I can't say there has been a dramatic impact on me or most people I know in my state. However, for the first time I can ever recall, our state park system is under attack across the US, with many states considering closing their parks in order to save money.
While I certainly sympathize with the states, as the current economy is one of the worst in decades, and Washington really hasn't been able to get it's house in order to help the states, it seems to me, closing the parks is just a quick and easy fix and doesn't really address the state's long term fiscal problems.
At a time when many families are struggling, our state parks provide an outlet for family fun that is low cost and encourages healthy activities like walking, biking, canoeing and hiking.
I also believe there is a bigger issue with closing these parks. For the first time, our current geneartion is growing up without any exposure to the outdoors. Parents are terrified of letting their children play outside, for fear their child might be abducted or molested.
However, as author Richard Louv points out in his book, Last Child In The Woods, there is a growing nature deficit, "As the nature deficit grows, new studies demonstrate just how important direct contact with the outdoors is to healthy human development. Most of the new evidence that connects nature to well-being and restoration has focused on adults, but during the past decade, scientists have begun to study the impact of nearby nature on child development. Environmental psychologists reported in 2003 that that nature in or around the home, or simply a room with a view of a natural landscape, helped protect the psychological well-being of the children."
Closing these state parks will only compound the nature deficit that many of our children are already experiencing!
I hope the states can figure something out and keep the parks open.
To me, this is good self defense!
If you would like to find out what parks your state are considering for closure, please visit the link here: Tree Hugger.
"There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy, and its charm." Teddy Roosevelt
This blog post is a part of The Ultimate Black Belt Test (ultimateblackbelttest.com), an undertaking ofThe 100 (the100.us), and a part of Samurai Karate Studio (samuraikaratestudio.net)
