Ecophobia was coined in 1996 by David Sobel and has become a natural fear in our children due to the graphic natural disasters depicted by the media.  These fears result in eco-anxiety; a feeling of despair and helplessness in the face of natural disasters.  We owe it to the next generation to shift this catastrophic mindset.

The idea of tackling these monumental issue is overwhelming to adults much less our children.  How can one person make a difference? Well, it starts with taking responsibility for what we can control by starting on a local level.  We must shift our attitude from apathy to positive action.  Let's educate our children by encouraging them to foster a healthy relationship with nature at an early age.  In his book Beyond Ecophobia, Sobel does just that with resources, ideas, and age-appropriate activities for parents and teachers to implement in a positive manner.

We must allow our children to love the Earth before we can ask them to save it! 

“The more slowly trees grow at first, the sounder they are at the core, and I think the same is true of human beings.”      ~  Henry David Thoreau