The old adage that "no man is an island" is even more applicable to our planet's plants and animals, which rely on each other for survival in a complex and delicate web of interdependence. If the diverse and wondrous species of our world are to avoid extinction, it is essential that we help our children to understand the importance of conservation and instill them with knowledge of, and respect for, all forms of life.
Katya Bozzi is Executive Director of the Star Eco Station, an Environmental Science Education and Wildlife Rescue Center in the Los Angeles area. Here she offers a guide for parents wishing to teach their kids about the web of life:
- Show life's interconnections.
It's important to teach our children that each living creature has a valuable role ion the ecosystem of our planet. Just like humans, animals and plants need each other to survive.
- Use concrete examples.
The way to explain bio-diversity to a child is to give concrete examples. For example, start by asking your child to explain the relationship between bees and flowers.
- Ask a child to consider the loss of a species.
Once you've helped your child understand how bees help the flowers with pollination, ask him or her to think about what would happen to the flowers if all the bees were gone.
- Help understand the impact of the loss.
When your child understands that the loss of the bees would mean the loss of the flowers, he or she has taken a giant step towards appreciating both the importance of every living creature, and the fragility of the web of life.
- Connect with nature.
Help your kids connect with nature in any way you can. When children can run their fingers through the feathers of a bird or feel the scales on a lizard, they will form a bond that will help them love animals and want to protect them.
- Deliver the world into caring hands.
When we offer our children opportunities to spend time with living creatures, we are helping to make them better caretakers of our planet.
For more information about biodiversity, nature and kids, check out the following organizations or websites:
Star Eco Station
www.ecostation.org
Backyard Jungle
www.backyardjungle.org
World Wildlife Fund: Kid's Stuff
www.worldwildlife.org/fun/kids
American Museum of Natural History: Lost Worlds: Lives in the Balance
www.amnh.org/museum/imax
American Museum of Natural History center for Biodiversity and
Conservation
research.amnh.org/biodiversity
Biodiversity Project
www.biodiversityproject.org
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