Get Green by knowing your Green

Since I no longer have Boston NOW to read on my way into work, I read the Metro and they highlighted this blog post which captures my eye. Here the author makes the remark, "A study found that while young people could identify a thousand corporate logos, they couldn't identify even a handful of plants and animals in their backyards".

Isn't this a sad way of pointing out how misguided our priorities are in this society. I like many other young professionals can identify many corporate logos as I walk downtown, but if I see a big tree in the Boston Common I more than likely couldn't name it and would probably only think about it as a great place to lay down and take my lunch break.

What I am missing out on is learning the potential good that this plant or tree can do for us or the environment. As I mentioned earlier I studied abroad in college and spent the semester in Australia. One of my classes was about getting to know Aboriginal culture. One part of the class we had an Aborigine guide walk us in the forest and show us how Aborigines communicated with each other.

In between showing us 4,000 year old rock art describing where a water hole is, our guide would instruct us on what this plant is and what it is good for, i.e upset stomach, sunburn, a common cold etc. It was said so casually and such a matter of fact fashion that it amazed me he could just walk around in the forest and know what is good for him in case he is feeling a little under the weather.

That's why I will join the No Child Left Inside Coalition and learn more about the natural world around us. I am not trying to be Survivor Man, or in this case Survivor Woman. I simply think it would be great to learn more about the plants and trees I see when I am on a walk with my dog.


Photo Courtesy of: http://www.breakingthetape.com/