The study indicated that adult concern for, and behavior related to, the environment derives directly from participating in such “wild nature activities” as playing independently in the woods, hiking, fishing, and hunting before the age of eleven. The study also suggested that free play in nature is far more effective than mandatory, adult-organized activities in nature. Paradoxically, this suggests that organizers of nature activities should strive to make the experience as unorganized as possible—but still meaningful. Not an easy task to accomplish.
