“We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass – grow in silence; see the stars, the moon, and the sun, how they move in silence. We need silence to touch souls” (St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta)

“Every day my love for the mountains grows more and more. If my studies permitted, I’d spend whole days in the mountains, contemplating the Creator’s greatness in pure air” (Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati)

Fostering this connection with nature must be intentional. In today’s culture of fast-paced screen-dominating entertainment it takes work to create space and slow down outside. But one way to naturally encourage a connection to creation is providing natural, wild areas for outdoor play.

Along with connecting spiritually with God through nature, it is also important to understand the health benefits of being outdoors, particularly for children, and the benefits of natural areas used for outdoor play. In Richard Louve’s book, Last Child in the Woods, the author coins the term “nature deficit disorder” to describe the ever-growing separation of children from nature, and the manifold consequences that this has on the burgeoning generation. An emphasis on more structured learning in school, parent’s fears of the unknown outside, and the hypnotic pull of electronics have seen an increase in physical and mental ailments. In contrast, allowing for opportunities of outdoor and unstructured play has been corelated with lower blood pressure, reduced anxiety, and leads to increased attention, particularly in school-aged children. Outdoor play is thought to increase motor skill development, problem-solving, conflict management skills, and social skills.