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Reading Room:  Last Child in the Woods- A Must Read!  |
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Rebekka Mae
True Blue Farmgirl
965 Posts
Rebekka
Moscow
ID
USA
965 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 14 2006 : 11:02:34 AM
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I am just finishing 'Last Child in The Woods- Saving our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder' by Richard Louv ( a true farmgirl at heart!)- while it seems cliche to me to even have a book on this topic I firmly believe that everyone who breathes (seriously) should read this book. It is eye-opening and has many very powerful solutions that will take place because of individuals. I was most amazed by the points that Richard Louv brings up with respect to adding wild spaces to cities, he is so hopeful- PLEASE FARMGIRLS- check this book out from your library or buy it and make one change in your life to help kids (and adults) in your community to have access to wild spaces (even if they are vacant lots), if you live on a farm find a way to let kids from a nearby city come to experience your lifestyle on a regular basis. I will be sure to share our thread with the author so that he can see what farmgirls are doing to return our children and ourselves to nature. From what you have already written I know you are doing this but we can all do a little more I am sure. I am inspired by this book to help local schools create wild spaces on school grounds and to have the children work to create them by collecting local plants and re-planting them (while meeting state standards in science, math and PE) since I am a teacher by training. Seeing these huge lawns and blacktops with children standing around makes me so sad- they don't have an environment that encourages play or imagination and we are paying heavily to water and spray chemicals to maintain a 'dead space'!
Please let me know what you think of this book!!!
Be Well, Rebekka |
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Mari-dahlia
True Blue Farmgirl
269 Posts
Marianne
Hoosick Falls
New York
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2006 : 05:00:43 AM
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Rebekka,
I love this book also. I bought it at Christmas while looking for gifts, as usual.
I want to leave my farm to the cooperative extension service. With the suburbanization of america we are getting further and further from the farm. KIds are very interesed in farming when they are young but most kids in america cannot own animals due to zoning and space etc. This would be a place where they could own an animal and come out and farm and take care of their own space. I have alot of research to do before I die but hopefully my farm can live on and help children in the process.
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Rebekka Mae
True Blue Farmgirl
965 Posts
Rebekka
Moscow
ID
USA
965 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2006 : 08:46:18 AM
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Marianne- That is so amazing! It will be an intersting process for you to go through but well worth the effort I am sure. It is so empowering for kids to see where their food comes from and how animals are cared for. One encouraging thing is that almost every city allows chickens- many people have room for a chicken coop in their yard but nothing replaces the farm experience. And to have an animal that is 'theirs'- what a sense of pride that will instill. Hooray for You!
Keep up the wonderful work, Rebekka |
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Mari-dahlia
True Blue Farmgirl
269 Posts
Marianne
Hoosick Falls
New York
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2006 : 04:38:36 AM
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unfortunately, not in NY. This past year I rescued 12 chickens from people who thought they could have chickens inside the village limits but soon found they could not. Yuppies with their children who think it is cute until they are large and poop alot. They go to the local farm store or agway and just buy them.
We have passed a right to farm law in the neighboring towns and this one so that suburbanites cannot continue to force NYS farms out of their own communities. Hopefully that will take care of it but it is exactly that attitude which I think I can help change if kids were to learn more about farming at an early age. |
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rosebud74a
True Blue Farmgirl
109 Posts
Stacy
Maryland
NY
USA
109 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2006 : 10:15:59 AM
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I am definalty going to check this book out. I had an idea for my acerage that is similar to the idea that is presented in the book (as you describe). I want to have a community farm. A place where people who don't have the space or who don't want the responsibilty but want to have the experiance can come and learn about the farming way of life. I would like to have goats, chickens, and a huge garden that many can benifit from. We will see how it works out...I am think ing that this would be in conjunction with a 4-H club, as I was in one and thought it was great. I am going to look for that book today!! Thanks. Peace,
Stacy
How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.
Henry David Thoreau
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CountryGirl85
True Blue Farmgirl
225 Posts
Laura
Oswego
IL
USA
225 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2006 : 8:00:11 PM
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This sounds like a wonderful book! I will definitely be looking for it at the library!
Much love,
Laura |
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Reading Room: Last Child in the Woods- A Must Read! |
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Last Child in the Woods- A Must Read!
