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4 /January 2024 The South Marysburgh Mirror Natural South Marysburgh . NDD Non-existent Among Hikers During my tenure as an outdoor nature interpreter and guided hike leader a decade or so ago, | led guided hikes from Cobourg to Kingston. Among them were a few hikes in South Marysburgh and area—Prince Edward Point, Ostrander Point, Charwell Point, as well as Point Petre and Milford, to name just a few that come to mind. “Last Child In the Woods” is a powerful and thought pro- voking book on a subject we are hearing more about these days—Nature Deficit Disorder, or NDD. Our society, says au- thor Richard Louv, is teaching kids to be terrified of the out- doors. “Well-meaning public-school systems, media and par- ents are effectively scaring children straight out of the woods and fields.” However, speak to any of the seniors who registered for our guided interpretive hikes, they wouldnt have a clue what you were talking about. NDD for them is about as foreign as SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). It simply doesn’t occur in Hikers with Terry Sprague at Little Bluff, South Bay. Photo by Dale mith those who have grown up with an appreciation for nature and the outdoors and who spend much of their time outside. They're far too busy enjoying life, twelve months of the year. These folks were quite comfortable handling a snake, exam- ining a water insect, or probing the scats of a coyote to deter- mine what it had for breakfast. It was all about curiosity and learning nature, and given the ages of some of those who registered for these hikes, learning did not end at some pre- determined age. They also lived by the motto that there is no such thing as bad weather— only inappropriate clothes for the weather. So, my hikers were out in any kind of weather, because nothing, not even advancing years, stopped them. This could explain why the guided hike program that | offered was always filled within a week. At an age when sen- iors might be expected to slow down, they had an insatiable need to learn about nature and be a part of it. It was a frantic seven day a week pace once the operating season began in mid-April, but | wouldn’t have done it had | not enjoyed it. So, why this sudden interest in hiking, especially interpre- tive hiking, for it isn’t only my programs that were filled—most others across the province become filled to capacity every year. Certainly, fitness entered into the equation. Often, | was amazed at how fit some of them were. Routinely, we saw folks in their 70s and 80s joining us. One such person on a hike to the top of the 275-foot Rock Dunder near Jones Falls one au- tumn day, was heard to ask when we reached the summit, “Why are we stopping?” However, there is an escalating interest in the natural world and it’s almost as if they want to see what they can before it is too late. It is more than simply having someone along who can identify plants and animals and migrating birds. Nature inter- pretation goes much deeper than that. Outdoor enthusiasts need to know why these things are here, and how they factor into the natural scheme of things. They enjoyed hearing about biodiversity and how everything we came across was intercon- nected, including us. And they liked the history of those areas we visited, because much of what we saw often tied in with what took place here historically. Nature tour leaders all over Canada are filling an important niche in ecotourism. Whether it is hikes in local natural areas, or tempting nature excursions to Galapagos, South America or Africa, people today want to see and learn new things, with the only limitation being their pocketbooks. They want to be a part of nature and learn its deepest secrets so they can appre- ciate this wonderful resource. At the same time, they welcome a few unsolved mysteries along the way and enjoy the chal- lenge of speculation knowing, that in nature, the best ending to any wildlife encounter, is often a mystery. | think those who attend guided hikes can relate with author Richard Louv when he states, “We have such a brief opportuni- ty to pass on to our children our love for this Earth, and to tell our stories. These are the moments when our world is made whole. In my children’s memories, the adventures we had in nature will always exist. These will be their turtle tales.” Terry Sprague is a County field naturalist who lives on Big Island. His website on nature in the county can be found at www.naturestuff.net and he can be reached at tsprague@xplornet.com Terry and Christie—