Last night my chapter of the master naturalists met to listen to a naturalist who used to work at Wild River State Park talk about a sense of place and well-being. He talked about us humans needing nature for our physical survival but also for our spiritual survival as well. The speaker had his presentation on, of all things, a carousal slide projector. This is a talk he gave many years ago but the message remains an important one. One of the quotes he gave was from Lyndon B. Johnson, "And once man can no longer walk with beauty or wonder at nature, his spirit will wither and his sustenance be wasted.” I never thought of LBJ as a nature loving president but I knew his wife was. She sponsored a program so that our state highways reflected the nature from that location instead of being exactly the same through out the country. Her pet project was the highway beautification act of 1965. Our speaker knew he was speaking to an audience who agreed with his thoughts on the importance of nature. Some times it is nice to listen to someone who agrees with your thoughts regarding vast expanses of suburban green lawns, Chem-lawn chemicals, and pollinator friendly plants. Our speaker seemed to think if you spend time observing nature every day you will better be able to get along with other people. I agree with that too. None of these things can be quantitatively studied and proven. I just know that if I can take a walk in the woods and touch the trunks of trees, I feel better. Inside a building (where I am much of the day) a house plant makes me feel better. Nature, in any form, is very important to me.
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