The International Writers Magazine: Comment

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Climb the mountains and get their good tidings • JOSHUA HAMPTON SILAVENT I wonder if John Muir, famed naturalist and explorer, realized the practical benefits of his thoughtful expression. No doubt Muir believed in the spiritual blessings of nature ­ those ethereal, intangible, often indescribable feelings brought on by the intrinsic beauty of such places as the Sierra Nevada mountains, an area Muir so passionately fought to protect.

John Muir by Colleen Veyna

I can only assume, too, that a man whose life was so closely coupled with nature understood the physical, psychological and social rewards the Œgreat outdoorsı can offer. And had he envisioned Chicken Soup for the Nature-deprived Soul, Muir today would be read as a self-help guru rather than a nature writer.

Muirıs travels and explorations were the primitive form of todayıs outdoor recreation. I am convinced outdoor recreation is a practical solution to many troubles facing our youth. Indeed, outdoor recreation is an important, overlooked means of improving the health, education and behavioral choices of young people. Studies consistently report Americans believe outdoor recreation improves quality of life. This includes, in the words of one study, "overall happiness, family unity, health, improved educational opportunities and deterrence of crime and substance abuse."

These studies do not reflect the assumptions of Americans about outdoor recreation, but, I believe, are the testaments of their experiences. I spent several summers in the late 1990ıs helping lead adventure trips for teenagers. We rafted, hiked, caved and climbed throughout the North Georgia mountains and southern Appalachiaıs.

Our excursions helped create lasting bonds of friendship and made us better stewards of our natural environment. Most of all, I believe, it gave many of us ­ counselors and campers alike ­ an opportunity to retreat from the temptations of drug use and crime, from the apathy and alienation that plague contemporary youth. From battling childhood obesity to teaching teamwork and leadership, from learning about the natural world to bonding by a camp fire, outdoor recreation can be a productive, fun and responsible alternative to the trappings of peer pressure during adolescent life. It is essential that parents encourage their children to get involved in the Œgreat outdoors,ı even if it means just visiting the local park. Better still, parents ought to be involved with their children. Who knows, the mountain they climb together may hold the greatest tiding of all: Success.

© JOSHUA HAMPTON SILAVENT
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