We are denied access to nature

I enjoy walking deep into the woods behind my house.

It reminds me of all those things you mention, walsh...and during those moments that I'm deep in the forest, I feel like I'm actually free for once.

 

Even in a small wood you can probly find examples of some of the most beneficial plants and mushrooms. When I was at Kansas City I was suprised to find some really cool details in some comparatively small patches of green.

 

I blame the enviro-psychos who've propagated the world to believe all human activity is harmful to the environment.

Fortunately there's still plenty of land left to freely explore. Lots of BLM land in the west and most of the time you can wonder out into unexplored wilderness even if it is against the law, because most of those areas aren't even enforced that well. And most of the time, nobody patrols those areas looking for hikers or campers.

 

How do you think that apple tree got there? I've never in my life been hiking in a natural forest and found an apple tree, other than scrubby little wild apple trees that don't produce fruit humans can eat. Undomesticated apple trees in North America have thorns and produce little green sour apples that make you sick. All the good apple trees have been planted and maintained by someone, so they deserve to have control over the fruit.

Nobody wants those campgrounds turning into permanent encampments with high crime rates and 100% unemployment. Families wouldn't want to go there anymore, and it's the city kids who need to have those wilderness experiences the most. Otherwise, they'll never develop a love for nature, or a sense of need for balance between nature and other priorities.

We need for a lot more urban kids to get out there and learn.