When I was a kid I had a poster called Roadside Wildflowers of Kansas. I would stare at it as I lay in bed and memorize the flowers. I wanted to have a name for the plants I saw out in nature. I knew I loved the plants even before I knew their name but once I had the name I could share with others. As a kid I wanted to share everything I experienced and asked even more questions to understand every little mystery.
I know that many of my friends have had similar experiences of finding a love and curiosity about nature when they were very young. Take some time to think back to your first nature experiences and what you found wonderful and mysterious and peaked your curiosity. What made you first fall in love with the outdoors?
As a community we need to make sure that children are still having nature experiences. We need kids to learn to love plants early in life. We protect what we love. Take a kid outside and help them find wonder in nature.
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