Reconnecting children with Nature- TedxYouth Singapore

On November 2013, I spoke at TedxYouth Singapore about “Reconnecting Children with Nature”. I was so honoured and thrilled to be speaking at TedxYouth in front of an audience of about 400 people. It was my first time speaking to a large audience  and I was a little bit nervous ( as you can see in the video :)) but nonetheless I was so happy to be able to share my story and talk about what I am passionate about!

My Thoughts…

My passion for nature was really kindled by photography, and in my journey my eyes have opened to the beauty around me.

I realised that kids my age spend most of their time hooked onto technology. I noticed that children hardly go outside and don’t have the freedom to wander, explore and discover the infinite natural world. These days there is just structured play, and kids have to be watched by adults while they play. Lessons in school are just taught from textbooks and inside the classroom- so I cannot really imagine the situation or grasp concepts because I cannot see them first-hand. When I touch, feel and experience the nature around me- I learn so much, and feel inclined to save and protect Mother Nature.

I shared in my talk my experiences in nature that I have shared here, on my blog- and what I have learnt from them. I included many of my pictures to show how photography keeps my passion alive as well. One of the stories I shared that I haven’t written about on my blog was when a monkey stole my ice cream. Being outdoors sometimes does have its risks, but that is one way kids can learn to grow and go out of their comfort zone.

We often forget that it is we children who are the future- and it is we who must change for the better. It is even scientifically proven that there are very little chances of getting myopia, obesity, stress and other health problems if we spend time outdoors, with nature. I feel so much more joyful, happy and grateful when out in nature.

Please do watch my talk, and give me your feedback and comments. Also, feel free to share it with your friends and family so this message can reach many.  I hope I can give many more talks like this and inspire more youths to spend more time with nature.

“We must teach our children 
To smell the Earth
To taste the rain
To touch the wind
To see things grow
To hear the sun rise and night fall
To care”

~John Cleal~

——————————————————————————————————————–

Lavanya Prakash

Blog- https://mynatureexperiences.wordpress.com/

Twitter- https://twitter.com/MyNatureExp

Facebook page- Mynatureexperiences

Email- mynatureexperiences(at)hotmail.com