Super Kids

When I connect with Odenigbo, now the director of evaluations and impacts at the Tamarack Institute, from my house in Vancouver to his cozy office in a small town in northern Alberta, his energy is infectious. When I tell him that I found myself enjoying the book despite my general aversion to superhero content, he doesn’t seem too surprised―and tells me that the choice of genre was very deliberate.

“I wanted the book to take a superhero fantasy form because that helps with the imagination,” he says. “It helps make an often-heavy topic feel filled with joy.”

Portraying diverse identities is an important part of the book’s narrative. In addition to cultural diversity, Odenigbo wanted to show multifaceted ways of connecting to and protecting nature; each superhero conceptualizes and relates to Gaia differently.

For his part, Odenigbo says one of his favourite ways to spend time with the natural world is by sitting under a tree and watching a movie on his iPad. For youth, he says, pushing the idea that you need to “disconnect” to connect with nature only serves to further alienate them.

Nature needs kids and youth

Odenigbo says that connecting younger folks to the natural world around them is a way of building a nature-conscious next generation.

A growing body of research shows how mindful engagement with nature can inspire a stronger connection to the earth and a higher inclination to care about protecting it. The book also shows how different people put their skills to use protecting nature in different ways, whether it’s research, physical strength, or political skill.

Environmental justice

Not all children and youth have the same opportunities to access or advocate for nature.

“I can’t tell you to go stand on the streets like Greta Thunberg, because some of you will have that ability, but a lot of you will not,” says Odenigbo on how he educates youth on topics related to justice and the environment. He notes that racialized youth may face additional risks in advocacy or protest, including disproportionate targeting by police.

Along with (and sometimes in relation to) systemic barriers like racism, Odenigbo notes that barriers to going outside or protecting the environment can sometimes be more practical. It could be that kids and teens don’t feel they have the right clothes, or that they suffer from allergies, or don’t have access to a car or public transportation.

Odenigbo recommends that young folks ask themselves: “Who am I? And given who I am, what can I do?” The answers to these questions may change over time―and that’s okay.

“There are always ways that you can connect in nature on your own terms, within your limitations,” says Odenigbo. “And as you do that, it’s going to inspire other people to do the same, or it’s going to knock down barriers so other people can do the same without the same level of difficulty.”

Nature and health

Connecting younger folks to nature offers a wealth of health benefits. Studies show that spending time in nature can help in many different ways:

·         improve children’s cognitive and social development

·         increase physical activity levels

·         help children with attention deficits manage their symptoms

·         reduce stress levels and anxiety for teens

Taking classrooms outside

Connecting children and youth to nature is a subject close to my own heart: my mother, Emily Vera, is one of the founders of Terra Nova Nature School in Richmond, BC, along with Kate Dawson. Like others across Canada, their nature school offers an abundance of learning opportunities:

·         focuses on place- and play-based learning that encourages children to develop ecological literacy

·         allows children to hone skills such as the capacity to slow down and focus

·         encourages children to explore and develop all their senses, including balance and spatial orientation

This article was originally published in the August 2024 issue of alive magazine.