Nature teaches children how to learn. A California Department of Education study from 2005 showed that sixth-graders improved their science scores by 27 percent after taking week-long outdoor education classes. Similarly, studies from the University of Michigan have suggested that proximity to nature enhances people's ability to concentrate.

Natural playgrounds (I refer to maintained habitats, not weed patches) can provide experiences for our students outside the classroom and foster their value for the natural world. If our school children, as part of their education become stewards of their nature playgrounds they will become stewards of our landscapes. Lets encourage our children to unplug from their Wii by turning some of our turfed school grounds into living laboratories for elementary education and exploration.