Health Benefits from being in Nature

There are many benefits of being surrounded by nature. The importance is getting kids out at a young age to experience nature, be it simple gardening or just playing with other kids for some unstructured play. Kids these days seem to have a full schedule of soccer practice, piano practice, swim lessons, and no time is left for imaginational play in nature. There are benefits to getting kids involved in nature and also consequences of kids not getting enough time in nature. Doctors around the world are calling it a needed dose of Vitamin-N (N-ature). Without a healthy dose of Vitamin-N chances are kids will continue to feel the consequences which ultimately will affect our planet in the future. We will have a society dependent on nature yet completely detached from nature which could play a devastating role in the fate of humanity. Take a look at some of the health benefits of involving everyday life to the natural world: 

• Children who play in nature have more positive feelings about each other (Moore 1996)

• Nature buffers the impact of life’s stresses on children and helps them deal with adversity. The greater the amount of nature exposure, the greater the benefits (Wells & Evans 2003).

• Children with symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are better able to concentrate after contact with nature (Taylor et al. 2001).

• Exposure to natural environments improves children’s cognitive development by improving their awareness, reasoning and observational skills (Pyle 2002).

• Play in a diverse natural environment reduces or eliminates bullying (Malone & Tranter 2003).

During our Costa Rica tours at Costa Rican Resource we offer travelers the chance to see first hand how the many wonders of the tropics can shock the senses and have a lifetime impact on young travelers looking for a teen adventure program or those looking to have a Costa Rica vacation they will never forget.

Nature-Deficit Disorder

Nature-Deficit Disorder is a term coined by Richard Louv in his book "Last Child in the Woods - Saving kids from Nature-Deficit Disorder". He argues the fact, with research from many studies, that the detachment from the natural world has immediate negative affects on individuals along with long term devastating affects on humankind and biodiversity. Kids today are simply getting more "screen time" and less "stream time". Some of the symptoms of individuals that have been noticed from not getting enough time in nature are as follows:

• Diminished use of senses
• attention difficulties
• higher rates of physical & emotional sickness
• higher crime rates
• higher obesity rates
• higher depression rates
• higher possibility of ADD

Add all of these together to several generations and we are headed for one heck of a future. Here at Costa Rican Resource we offer educational tours to teachers and students with the idea of reuniting them to the natural world. Join us for a life changing opportunity of making a world wide change of "No Child Left Inside".

 

Difference between being in nature and fully experiencing and observing the natural world

If you find yourself whitewater rafting in Costa Rica down a river screaming and yelling for 3 hours then chances are you experience a lot of adrenaline and just used nature as a backdrop. This is better than nothing we will have to admit. But to be able to experience nature using your senses and understand the life support system of the tropical rainforest is something that is truly magical. It is important that if you enjoy some of the many different adventures of Costa Rica you still find a way to see the beauty of nature in the little things. We find great fun in the 700ft ziplines and the class IV rapids of the famous Pacuare river but to get the full experience of an eco-adventure you must learn different observational skills for being in nature. You must schedule time to  involve yourself in different nature activities that help in a more full experience with the natural world. This idea of finding the wonders of nature in the small things and not just the big adventures is no better explained than in this poem:

Poem written by:  Thich Nhat Hanh (Vietnamese Buddhist monk)
“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle.
But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin
air, but to walk on earth.  Every day we are engaged in a miracle
which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green
leaves, and the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes.
All is a miracle.”

Here at Costa Rican Resource we make every effort to show you some of the most adrenaline filled adventures. We are experts in the industry of adventure travel to Costa Rica for student tours and family tours. This expertise can only be outdone by our passion and love for nature. We love watching a child's face light up after running their first class IV rapid and facing such a challenge. We find more joy in watching this child make the connection of "life on Earth" through observing a simple little hummingbird pollinate a simple little flower which we consider the real reason for taking a Costa Rica vacation.

How a Costa Rica Vacation can help reunite kids & families with their environment

A Costa Rican Vacation brings you to the heart of the tropics where biodiversity is at it's fullest. It should be mentioned that experiencing nature should begin locally. Attention should be given to the native tree species and environments and parks that are in your local town. It is after experiencing the wonders of your local landscape that you are able to appreciate the plethora of biodiversity offered in Costa Rica. A Costa Rica Adventure tour can be a reason to get the kids off the screen and into the stream. It is a chance for student tours and family vacations to be educated on the many symbiotic relationships and the ability to see the genius ideas that nature has to offer us. 

We at Costa Rican Resource offer examples through biomimicry educating students and families on what we can learn from nature and not just learn about nature. This allows for a more deeper understanding, awareness, and ultimately respect for the natural world. After we have gained a little respect for the natural world we begin to look deeper and begin to feel a connection to the largest of all mammals to the smallest of all mushrooms that break down the fallen trees, which provide new soil, which provides growth area for trees which then provide air and more food as the cycle goes on. We see the life support system of simple organisms and our ignorance for the natural world becomes washed away and decomposed by the beauty and understanding of different ecosystems.

Some other ways of doing this during a tour is to focus on observation of nature. There are many activities we bring into our tours that make our clients more aware of the natural world. It is also through journaling (as boring as it might sound) that does wonders in a natural setting of making individuals aware. 

Join us for a Costa Rica vacation or a Costa Rica Student Educational Tour and join us in our goal in reuniting kids and families with nature!

Written by: Tom Ranieri, Trip Coordinator 
Tom has been the trip coordinator for Costa Rican Resource for 10 years. He is also a certified River guide in Costa Rica, Wilderness EMT, Vertical Rope Rescue Certified, and a Naturalist guide in and around Costa Rica

Costa Rican Resource S.A.
Toll Free: 1-855-CRR-TOUR
Family Adventures -- www.crrtours.com
Student Tours --- www.crrtravel.com
US -- 352 694-3462
CR -- +506 2460-7982
P.O. Box 359-3011
Barva, Heredia