Americans Spending Less Time With Nature

Americans are spending less and less time enjoying the outdoors.

This story says that ever since the late 1980's, Americans are partaking in nature related activities less and less by slightly more than 1% a year. I have personally seen the opposite appear to be true, since every year we have to book our summer's camp sites at midnight, January 1st! (When they start taking reservations). If you wait a few days to book a federal camp site online (www.reserveamerica.com) then you'll be out of luck. I really find it hard to believe that these federal parks and forests are seeing less people, and must wonder if the smaller percentage is due to an increase in the total number of population, or maybe it's due to a rise in the number of disabled or obese people that wouldn't be able to go fishing, camping, hiking, kayaking etc?

The story goes on to say that, "The study, which appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, speculates that the declines could have a variety of long-term causes, ranging from rising gas prices to increases in the amount of time spent in front of video games and TV screens."

I can accept this as a relevant cause of the decline, and even though the story says this decline could be the start of a new era, I welcome it. Not only will there be less people abusing the outdoors by littering, harming wildlife and polluting natural resources, but it will also give the rest of us the opportunity to enjoy nature on a more regular basis. If this decline continues, those of us that have a deep love for nature will not miss our chance to book campsites because other people that may not appreciate nature as much (and are doing it because they feel they "have to") have booked up all the spots.