April 26, 2017
Protecting the environment can be as easy as telling your kids to go outdoors and play, according to a new UBC study. Research by Catherine Broom, assist. prof. in the Faculty of Education at UBC Okanagan, shows that 87 per cent of study respondents who played outside as children expressed a continued love of nature as young adults.
Of that group, 84 per cent said taking care of the environment was a priority. “Developing positive experiences in nature at a young age can influence our attitudes and behaviours towards nature as adults,” says Broom. “It is important to study these childhood experiences in order to develop environmental awareness and action in the next generation.”