"Healing the broken bond between our young and nature is in our self-interest, not only because aesthetics or justice demand it, but also because our mental, physical, and spiritual health depend upon it."
—from "Last Child in the Woods," Algonquin Books

 

Why do we do wildlife education?  At UTOPIA we feel that educating the public about the presence and needs of wildlife is one of the most important services we offer.  

Now, more than any at time in history, we are separated from nature.  Children, their schedules loaded with planned activities and school, have little time for exploration and playing outside, and schools, pressed to improve academic performance, have little time and money to spend on recess and “extra” programs.  Safety concerns and a lack of accessible forested and open space compound the problem.  Adults are faring no better.  One recent study showed that most Americans spend little time outdoors, and those in the twenty-something age group spend no time outdoors most months.  In our own state of Indiana, there is a decline in the number of applications for hunting and fishing licenses.

Nature has little hope of competing with the fast-paced, virtual world offered by television and computer games.  In his book, The Last Child in the Woods author, Richard Louv surveyed children about their attitudes about nature and the outdoors, and the responses were sobering and very reflective of a disturbing trend in our society.  When asked by Mr. Louv whether he played outside, one 4th grader responded, “I like to play indoors ‘cause that’s where all the outlets are”.  With fears of diseases like Lyme Disease, West Nile Virus and Avian Flu at an all time high, fears about personal safety and a society which focuses on being goal-oriented, the problem of finding free time and being uncomfortable about being outdoors is compounded.

Anecdotal evidence points to improvement in behavior, concentration, and overall outlook in children who have experienced some form of regular outdoor or nature education.  Opportunity to exercise, run and play are the most obvious benefits of being outdoors, but also, the skills required to observe nature are the exact opposite of those associated with the behavioral problems reported in such high rates among our children.  Observing listening and focusing are just a few of the abilities honed by nature study, and empathy toward other living creatures can only serve to help children in their interpersonal relationships.

Our programs attempt to attract attention to this problem and encourage kids and adults to notice, understand and appreciate what is happening outside their own back doors.  Habitat loss has forced wildlife to live in ever-closer contact with wild animals, and the need to understand what is out there and how to deal with it (or leave it alone and appreciate it) is essential for both human and animal health.  Some naturalists estimate that populations of animals like raccoons in some areas are up to 5 times higher in the city and suburban areas than in the surrounding rural regions.  Wildlife is not in some nebulous forest “out there somewhere”, it is in your trashcan, garage, attic or birdfeeder.

Every rehabilitator has enough stories to fill a book about the things they hear from the public, and though some of these stories are amusing, they are a telling indicator of the state of things.  We frequently get calls from people who are panicked that there is a nest of baby bunnies in the back yard.  When asked what the problem is, the caller often states that there is none, they just wonder what they have to do, and want to bring the nest to us because “something might happen to them out there”.  Despite our reassurances, the homeowner will frequently disbelieve us because they cannot understand that nature can operate without them, and that the “system works”.  People frequently ask us about what out hawks eat, and when we tell them that they eat mice (previously killed and frozen) they make a face and say that we should feed them hamburger or vegetables so nothing will have to die.  There is no perception that the beef on their plate was once alive. Children have approached us and are surprised that our Great Horned Owl can’t talk.  Many have never had a meaningful relationship with animals of any sort, and for some, their only experience with wildlife is the Disney Channel or Animal Planet.  They have no idea that, even in populated areas, there are opportunities to observe and learn about nature just about everywhere.   

Our education programs strive to teach more than just the facts about our animals. We want people to begin to understand that nature is not the enemy, and cannot be sanitized or made to operate the way they would like it to.  The understanding that everything in nature happens for a reason, and that everything has a function in our ecosystem is our message.  It is our hope that “close-up” experiences with our non-releasable ambassador animals and our insight into animal behavior and natural history, will increase interest in the resources we have been given.  As we frequently say, “One cannot care about something one has not experienced”.

This generation will make long-ranging decisions about the quality of life in our world, and we feel it imperative that they be able to make educated and informed decisions concerning our world and its creatures.

Call us about talking to your class or group.  We’d like to spread the word.  We can tailor classes to your needs, and can teach on a large range of topics.  Here are just a few:

All of our programs include hand-on demonstrations, active student participation and FUN!

Our speaker’s fees help us support our Wildlife Rehabilitation efforts, and vary according to distance traveled, length and number of programs and other factors.  Call (812) 546-6318 for further information.  Your group can “adopt” us and earn a free program.  Ask us how!

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