FACU LT Y & S TA FF
A PR I L 20 19
One might be led to believe that even the most seasoned winter veterans would be convinced to revise their outlook for outdoor activities during a stretch like the one we experienced. But, despite the harsh weather conditions two weeks prior, a group of Bethany education students led by Professor Polly Browne climbed inside a college-owned van on February 12, 2019, for a trip to Minneopa State Park—a beautiful piece of land just minutes outside of Mankato. The purpose, according to Browne, was to show these future educators that “we can all enjoy winter and not be cooped up when the weather turns colder,” with the ultimate goal of demonstrating ways to help kids get much-needed playtime regardless of the time of year.
“I truly believe that today’s children suffer from something I’ll call NDD—
A Cure for
Nature Deficit Disorder
Photos courtesy of Polly Browne
BY L A N C E S C H WA R T Z • D I R EC TO R O F I N S T I T U T I O N A L COM MU N I C AT I O N
We, Minnesotans are a hearty, winter-tolerating bunch. Snow and cold don’t bother us much. It seems even those who find their way to Minnesota from warmer climates end up, at the very least, learning how to cope with a Northern Plains winter. But occasionally, the winds blow a little stronger during a Minnesota winter, and at times the temperature dips below zero for more than a few days. The 21st Century terms for these types of weather phenomena are Bomb Cyclone and Polar Vortex. The winter of 2018-19, at first, set itself up to be a season that wasn’t going to be all that memorable. The air temperature on January 15 was 33ºF and very little snow was on the ground. And then something in the atmosphere changed about ten days later. The official low temperature on January 30, 2019, was -28ºF, although many thermometers showed even lower. And then there was the relentless February snow—33.5 inches in total in Mankato. 14
nature deficit disorder. This trip is to get my students thinking of ways to cure NDD.”
- D R . P O LLY B R OW N E
Every winter, for the past ten years, Browne’s Education 315 Teaching Health and Physical Education class has taken to the outdoors for a lesson in winter activities and play, forsaking the comfort of the warm underground tunnels leading to the dining hall in exchange for exploring nature with a brown bag lunch eaten while sitting beside a creek in the snow. So, what exactly is it that makes Browne, and the class of college students go out, into the cold and snow, every year for this experiential learning event? “I believe that today’s children suffer from something I’ll call NDD—nature deficit disorder. This trip is to get my students thinking of ways to cure NDD.” “Arriving at Minneopa and entering the world of pristine nature, I hear laughter, excitement, joy, happiness, enjoyment, and I have the opportunity to witness young adults learning about how play can be incorporated into their future lesson plans.” Browne explained that much of the value in the outdoor experience is about “understanding the sense of wonder young students naturally have, and how these aspiring teachers will be helping to stimulate that sense of wonder in their own future classrooms.” “One of the first sentences I heard stepping out of the van that day was ‘I wonder what we’ll see today?’
