Over the past decade, researchers from diverse fields have realized what most of us know intuitively: Nature is good for our health and wellbeing. They have discovered countless links between time spent outdoors and cognitive, physical and emotional development.

Show someone a photo of a lush forest with a grizzly bear and ask what's in the picture. Most will answer, "a bear." Add a spotted owl to the scene, and the response might become, "a grizzly bear under an owl." What you are unlikely to hear is a description of the flora accompanying the charismatic fauna.

I'm happy that my children have also grown up with a love for the natural world, inspired by time spent at the beach or in the mountains, and that their children are learning the same lessons. After all, people will not care as much about, or work to protect, something with which they feel no connection.