Children raised in an urban environment often have little or no exposure to natural soil and greenery. They no longer go barefoot on the earth, dig in the dirt, or get exposed to the woods and forests. Their food comes sealed in plastic, triple washed to extract every crumb of soil (often chemically treated soil) and cooked in an ultra-sterile environment.  i.e. where are the valuable microbes that enhance the microbiome and generate health?

A wonderful experiment was done in Finland, enriching the environment of Daycares with greenery and testing the effect that had on children’s microbiomes. Every parent and educator should read this and legislate for a change in our educational system. There is a groundswell of parents worldwide who are waking up to the necessity of exposing children to the ground and forests. 

Check out these articles:

1. https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2184963/forest-bathing-kids-green-spaces-health-benefits-being  (China)

2.  Especially relevant during Covid 19. https://childhoodbynature.com/

3.  A wonderful site full of ideas for guardians of the young: https://www.freeforestschool.org/free-forest-school-blog/

4.  Excellent article on the benefits of the outdoors for all of us: https://www.openspace.org/nature-health-benefits.