In John Muir’s novel, Our National Parks, he writes, “thousands of tired, nerve- shaken, over civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity… and that mountain parks are useful not only as fountains of timber… but as fountains of life.” Centuries ago, humans lived off the land; every resource they needed and every desire they had was once fulfilled by the Earth itself. However, as time went on, people began moving towards a more industrial way of life, a more destructive way of life. As industrialization expanded, the fascination with wilderness and the innate connection humanity has with nature gradually began to deteriorate, leaving a dull and bleak existence. Some may say that having a technologically based society enables rapid growth and increased communal knowledge. Although this may be true, the development of the individual person is lost, and therefore “growth” is only for society, not the individual. John Muir’s quote on our society can be proven true by looking at the credibility of the author himself, the diction he uses to convey his ideas, as well as modern studies conducted on children’s education.
John Muir came to the United States in 1849 to a farm in Wisconsin. From an early age whenever he had free time Muir and his brother would roam the field and woods on their father’s farm. As he grew up he became a lover of nature and the natural world. Due to his curiosity as a young boy he began playing and building things. For example, he built a contraption that would roll himself off of his bed before dawn. In 1867 while working in a shop he suffered an injury that left him partially blind. After about a month he regained sight but did not return to work. Instead he headed south traveling to Panama before making his way to California. In the later years of his life he began to focus on his writing and publishing over 300 articles. In 1901, Muir published the book Our National Parks, a book the brought him so much positive attention that he met with the president at the time President Theodore Roosevelt to talk the trees and wilderness. Muir also found the Sierra Club which help to protect our natural heritage and intact many environmental stances (Wood).
John Muir is obvious on his stance of wanting people outside. He does this through strong diction, indicating that the modern people who lack natural experiences are weak, by using the terminology “nerve- shaken,” and “over- civilized.” Utilizing diction such as, “going home” and “necessity,” Muir also points out that nature is an innate path that humans are drawn to. Lastly, he compares “fountains of timber” and “fountains of life” to point out that the natural world is not for monetary gain, but for personal growth and life purpose. If we remember back to the days that humans lived off the land and remember when hunters and gatherers only took what they needed to survive, we just may be able to return to the wilderness in a meaningful and productive way.
In the documentary film, Mother Nature’s Child, produced by Active Eye Films, the director explains how getting inner city children involved with nature activities helps grow their creativity, happiness, focus on schoolwork, and perspective on life. When we deprive children of nature, children begin to “exhibit symptoms of ‘nature deficit’: obesity, depression, and a range of leading disorders (Welcome). If kids continue to follow this destructive path the health of the human population will be in serious peril. Kids are the future and if they stay on this path kids will die before their parent will.
In 2016 the United States generated about $30.4 billion in revenue as released by the Entertainment Software Association (U.S. Video). If more children return to the woods the video game industry will take a major hit in sales. This is a major concern for those companies because they could lose billions of dollars in revenue. However, with more kids returning to the woods allows for them to have better social skills and have more real-life interaction with actual people. Many people believe that kids do have the same social interaction through playing video games however kids do not. In fact, many kids do not even know the people they are playing with which causes them to have conversations that may not be appropriate for the age. Plus, by allowing kids to play video games all the time kids do not enjoy nature. If kids do not enjoy nature they will be missing out on why it is so critical that we save our planet. If we continue to harm our planet there will be little we can do to help save it.
However, in order to change people, we need to communicate with one another in order to make a substantial impact happen. To be able to truly say that they made an impact on improving the environment in a substantial way. And if the problems that society has created was to be fixed and or reversed will it be soon enough. Without direct action to stop living in a state of fear our future generations will not be able to truly understand what returning to nature really represents. Without nature society will not be able to move further and they will lose the experiences that their parents and grandparents had playing in the woods. As society continues on this destructive path the only ones that would be able to stop it would be us. However, society has to take immediate action in order to give our children the same experience in nature that they had. The only way that will happen is if they take away the technology and push their children to return to nature in a positive way.
According to Glen M. MacDonald, John Muir’s grasp is still being felt by many Americans early in life (MacDonald). In the past kids were excited to go out and play in the outdoors. However, in the recent years we have been living in a state of constant fear which is causing children to be confined to four walls instead of playing in the woods and learning what the environment has to offer in the expanses of a young child's mind. Throughout Muir’s journey he began to fear that state and local governments would intrude by restricting access to our National Parks. However, the park system was created in a way that is beneficial to the public in multiple ways. Because it was created for public benefit, it allows for easy access by citizens to enjoy the beauty of nature with minimal difficulty or cost. Without the park system, it would be unclear what our natural areas would look like today or even decades from now. The park system is essential to the preservation and protection on the environment. Without it is only a matter of time till we reach a threshold that we could not come back from. If that is reached we will be in seriously animosity.
Today, the connection with nature isn't necessarily prevalent. Natural resources are being exploited, population numbers are at an all-time high, and the “wilderness,” or what was once considered “wilderness,” is condensed to state and national parks. As the evolution of society progresses and humans continue to go about their daily lives, the natural world suffers victim and valueless. In the words of John Muir, the Father of National Parks, “wilderness is a necessity” that city dwellers need to learn to enjoy once more (Muir). According to Christina Scannapiego in “One of Yosemite’s Many Gems,” going back to nature is a type of “homecoming” to those people who are looking to remove themselves from the stresses of modern civilization and return to the beauty and quiet of what nature has to offer (Scannapiego). Many Americans still fail to make time to immerse themselves in such nature because they are so preoccupied with their own destructive lives of money making despite the desire to return to nature. They do not step back to see what they are truly missing. They do not take the time to go hike or camp in our National Parks or National Forests. They do not pause their self-consumed lives to admire and appreciate the natural world. Recreationists today can not recognize the environmental impacts that they are causing because they are not focusing on it like they would be if they were reliant on the land like Native Americans were. Native Americans sustained productive lives in harsh environments by living off the land without the same type of greed that we have developed in today's society. In most cases now, park managers are the only people that are aware of the negative impacts humans are creating. These managers can only do so much to reduce the negative effects that the rest of the population fails to recognize and take necessary actions to reduce. In today's society, change is not going to happen quickly because humanity has become more work and technology oriented rather than focus on their true needs rooted within nature.
By putting our differences behind us we can make real and definite changes. John Muir wrote this in order to pave a path through reality and bring citizens of metropolitan areas back to the basics. To remind them that we need to look at nature not as resources and means to a profit, rather as happiness and joyful creation. By returning to nature we can once again grow as a community to truly thrive in the natural world. But in order for this to happen we have to take Muir's advice and return home to the natural world. But first kids need to put down the video games and go outside and enjoy what nature has to truly offer to society. Without kids in the woods it will be only a matter of time before there will not woods for kids to play and enjoy in.