I am obviously biased when it comes to my opinion about the importance of spending time with Nature. Nevertheless, I do believe that there is great healing power within Nature that is available to anyone that is open to it. Throughout my lifetime I have not spent a great amount of time within the highly built-up urban centers of our world. However, for the most part I have enjoyed the time that I have spent in large cities, but there was something missing within these urban realms - the sacredness of Nature. Considering that the majority of the worlds population lives in urban centers, and this trend is on the rise, there is an important question to be asked - What will happen when the majority of humans on this planet have little or know connection and experience with Nature? From my perspective, nothing good will come of this separation from Nature. How are people going to value something that they do not know?
You may be surprised to hear that over the years I have consistently had multiple guests on river trips that did not understand how rivers work; they did not understand that rivers do not go around in a circle like an amusement park ride! I am not kidding, and I really wish I were. I believe that there are many people in this highly "civilized" society that do not truly understand how the water cycle works on this planet, the very mechanism that supports all life on earth. We cannot afford to forget what allows us to live on this planet; Nature is the giver of all life on earth. Regardless of one's religious beliefs, one cannot deny that humans are interdependent with the natural ecosystems of this planet. This undeniable fact of the source of our lives is exactly why I think we should consider creating Open Spaces that are Sacred Spaces. Please check out the below link and see how some visionaries are bringing the power of Nature into the void of sacredness that lies within the growing urban centers of our world.
http://www.opensacred.org/
