If humans have spent millions of years living lives inextricably linked with animals, what happens when we try to live without them? For children who've grown up without pets, we may be cutting their empathetic heartstrings. In her book "Made for Each Other," author Meg Daley Olmert examines signs that we may have broken the bond with animals that helped shape us into civilized humans in the first place. Pointing the way: the work of psychiatrist Aaron Katcher, who "sees the fallout from this sudden interspecies divorce every day in children who are too wild to participate in polite society."

Katcher treats children suffering from severe attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). The surprising star among his attempts to help them calm and focus their behavior have been programs that bring the kids into contact with animals. His zoo program, launched in the early 1990s, sends kids to the zoo to care for and handle small zoo animals. The program was the first controlled clinical trial of an animal therapy designed to treat a disorder previously addressed only with drugs—and it was a smashing success. Residential counselors and schoolteachers noted a significant decline in the boys' negative symptoms, as compared with the control group.

What's the positive connection? Katcher believes it's a number of factors:

• Novelty of the zoo animals as a safe, uncritical point of interest
• Increased oxytocin levels created by the act of caregiving
• Forming an emotional bond with the animals

As Olmert summarizes, "The sensory and behavioral delight experienced while caring for animals just happens to be one of the most potent mechanisms for unleashing the grain chemicals missing in children afflicted with ADHD. Pets may not be pills, but it turns out they are very strong medicine." Maybe Mom was right: more snuggling will make things all better.

(Photo credit:harrykeely, SXC)

Look closely at the pelicans in the photo. The one on the right appears to have fishing line wound around its beak. Where's the hook? Likely lodged in its pouch or stomach. Against the odds, this seabird is still alive and perhaps not starving* ... because it's not enough to survive being poisoned by DDT and chemical fire retardant runoff.

In yesterday's Eco Fishing 101 post, I explained how not to hook a bird, especially endangered birds, like the entangled brown pelican in the picture and thousands of other types of marine (and freshwater) birds. But what if you accidentally do snag one while fishing? How can you remove the hook without further injuring the bird (and your heartstrings)?

It won't be easy, but you can try these basic steps. Gently, very gently. When all else fails, call in the neighborhood Game Warden and give up eating chicken (or any other feathered "food") as penance.

1. Reel the bird in slowly and gently. Whatever you do, avoid cutting the line. This not only frees an injured bird, but can also further entangle it and potentially lead to starvation. Instead, try using a dip or hoop net to capture the bird.

2. Stabilize the bird. Gently grasp the bird's bill before releasing it (from the net). Cover its head and eyes with a piece of fabric (shirt, rag, etc.). Be careful not to obstruct the animal's breathing. Attempt to keep its wings folded in a closed position.

3. Unhook it. Try to remove the hook and all the line. (Getting squeamish here? I am!) This might require needle-nose pliers. Please be kind and cut off the barb before pulling the hook out. (Cringe!) Delicately release the bird (and let out a bellowing sigh of relief).

4. Call for backup. If the (poor!) bird is very deeply wounded, hooked or entangled, please call your local department of fish and game or game warden. Better to leave it to their trained and properly-gloved hands.

Maybe these tips don't seem very handy now, but you'll be glad you skimmed them if, God forbid, you should ever need them.

Now, if you ever accidentally hook a turtle ... Well, I'll spare you that tricky rescue technique until the next Eco Fishing 101 lecture.

*...at the time the photograph was taken.

(Photo credit:flickr, Stig Nygaard)

Ever noticed how blissed-out spring gardeners seem to have loopy grins perpetually plastered on their faces? (We dare you to find a dreary post around here by Sarah Gilbert—go on, give it a shot.) There may be a scientific reason people who dig around in bark chips are so chipper. New research by British scientists shows that bacteria commonly found in soil activates serotonin in brain to produce a mood-lifting boost.

Research published in Neuroscience found that Mycobacterium vaccae activates a specific group of neurons in the brains of mice that produce serotonin. “These studies help us understand how the body communicates with the brain and why a healthy immune system is important for maintaining mental health," said Dr.Chris Lowry of Bristol University. "They also leave us wondering if we shouldn’t all be spending more time playing in the dirt.”

Lowry isn't the only one to wonder. Author Richard Louv started the ball rolling with his idea of nature deficit disorder. We humans simply feel better when we're connected with the world around us, from nature to neighbors. Earth Day (nine days and counting!) isn't only about taking care of the world—it's about engaging and living fully in it, too.

• Get the kids back on their feet and walking to school.
• Flip off the TV and laptops and enjoy a "green hour."
• Celebrate Earth Day as a true holiday at your house.
• It's not only about getting back to nature—city living can be eco-friendly, too.
• Find your little square of nature and hold on tight.

(Photo credit:kvanhorn, flickr)

If you're old enough to have kids you probably remember what it was like to walk to and from school, rain or shine, blizzard or drought. Maybe on nice days you rode your bicycle. When your parents were school kids in the sixties, more than 90 percent of children who lived within a mile of school walked or bicycled there. Today only 30 percent do, according to Jeff Yeager.

What happened that got the kids off their bikes and into the minivan? Some people cite safety concerns, but the chance that a child will be injured in a car accident are astronomically higher than that he will encounter evil doers out to sell him into child slavery on a chocolate plantation or something. Not to downplay the concern for child safety, you understand, but really—if he'll wear his helmet why not send him off to school on his bike?

Between 1976 and 2006, obesity in children ages six through twelve about tripled. The kids are ever more sedentary and it shows up in the width of their bottoms. Kids are also suffering nature deficit disorder. Parental concern, fueled by sensationalist media reports of abductions and the like, has limited the amount of time children spend outdoors in unsupervised settings. If your eight year old doesn't walk to school, just when will she have time to study the worms on the sidewalk after a rainstorm, pick up leaves, walk quickly and a little scared past the mean lady's house, or dawdle in a neighbor's driveway petting a friendly cat?

April 8 is National Start! Walking Day. The event is aimed at adults, but there ought to be a way to involve your children. Maybe you could walk to school with them. Or maybe that's a bad idea. It depends on the "parental embarrassment quotient," a metric directly related to what the child thinks his friends will think when they see him with mom or dad.

(Photo credit:zerojay, Flickr)

Spring is the perfect time to encourage kids to get outside, ward off Nature Deficit Disorder, and explore the great outdoors. Ditch plastic throwaway Easter toys for durable, enduring Easter basket treasures that are sure to be used all summer long until the snow flies again. Super Eco has rounded up spring's best toys that are sure to inspire your budding environmentalist to get closer to nature:

For the Birds

• Flights of Fancy Birdwatching Kit ($21) gives kids everything they need to become a junior ornithologist.
• Digital camera. Check out ZRecs picks on kid-tough cameras $50 - $80) that help kids get close to nature while creating art at the same time.
• Wooden bird call ($5.25) connects to a key chain and inspires kids to listen to the sounds birds make. Or sound like an owl ($19.95)!

Bug Stuff

• Bug viewer ($3.95) lets kids look at the little guys for awhile and then gently let them go again.
• Bug Bungalow ($5.25) provides a comfortable temporary home for any bug, with ample viewing opportunities for budding bugologists.

Growing Gardeners

• Every kid needs a pail ($8.95). Guaranteed hundreds of uses. Metal pails are not plastic (yay!) and last forever.
• Garden tote and hand tools ($16.95). For all that planting and any random digging.
• Watering can ($9.95) to keep little ones busy all this long hot summer.
• Composting book set ($19.95) featuring Pee-Wee the red worm.

Water Play

• Nutshell canoe ($9.95), the perfect size for sailing in small spring streams.
• Balloon-powered boat ($4.95) because kids have an endless supply of hot air.

Whatever the Weather

• Rain and mud overalls ($29.95) are a must. These are non-PVC and high-quality hand-me-downable.
• Rain boots ($15- $25). Frogs? Fairies? Ladybugs? Dinosaurs? Awesome selection sure to keep wee feet dry.
• Sun hat ($19.95) protects precious faces.

Nature Fun

• Nature kaleidoscope kit ($13.95) lets kids create their own kaleidoscope from natural objects.
• Nature study kit ($24.99), for collecting rocks, and you know ... stuff.
• Fairy kit ($29.95) because every girl—and many boys, don't judge—loves to be a fairy sometimes.

(Photo credit:daBinsi, flickr)

It's easy to become jaded about nature when you live in the 'burbs. City dwellers enjoy more established parks, and when they need a massive dose of nature, they tend to go all the way and make it out to the country. Suburbanites too often become mired in an artificial middle ground: paved pathways through bare, grass-only parks; greenbelts beneath high-power lines; neighborhoods where parking space takes precedence over room to play and breathe.

In this environment, it's easy to fall prey to a manicured vision of nature. A walk outside isn't refreshing because there's as much asphalt as there is greenery. Kids don't want to play outside because, well, there's not much of anything out there.

You could green your way out of the box with a gardening frenzy. We've certainly written enough here about how to start your own veggie garden, how to plan summer backyard fun—heck, we've even shown you how to eat your weeds.

But today, I'd like to offer a quiet word of encouragement to those of you who simply want a greener view of their suburban space. Step off the paved pathways. Spread out a blanket and lay back—the sky's as wide as the spindly trees in your brand-new neighborhood park are narrow. Grab a basket and a young child and go hunt down twigs, nuts and pretty leaves to build a fairy home in the bushes or ground cover against the side of the house. Open all the windows. Walk along the curb and kick all the leaves.

Breathe. It's still out there. You're still in here. And no matter how paved over things get, the parts you can see will thrive and grow, as long as you lend them your attention.

(Photo credit:D'Arcy Norman, flickr)

Super Eco's flickr group members (150+ and growing) have been busy uploading beautiful nature photography (over 300 pictures to date). This month's photo contest, 'For the Birds', features lovely photos for your enjoyment (and psst, it's not too late to enter your pictures here). 

Viewing these, one is reminded of Romantic poets such as William Blake ..."merry merry sparrow! under leaves so green, a happy blossom sees you swift as arrow, seek your cradle narrow, near my bosom..." Perhaps photos such as these are the real cure for Nature Deficit Disorder.

Get a nice cup of tea, turn off the radio and TV, and enjoy the talents of our flickr group members:

Join us! Not sure how to take nature photos? Take a look at our how-to.

(Photo credit:chris gidney1, flickr)

Nature deficit disorder may not be a diagnosable condition. But there is no question that children do benefit from some (or a lot of) outdoor play, whether it's spending hours immersed in mud and leaves, or simply running around on a playground for 15 minutes. Due to the impending Senate scrutiny of the $500 million No Child Left Inside Act (H.R. 3036, passed by the House in September), "environmental education" has become a buzzword and many are jumping on the uncontroversial bandwagon: kids deserve outside time.

Studies support far-reaching benefits of getting children out from their "cubicles" (a.k.a. classrooms) and breathing actual unfiltered air. One published in the journal Pediatrics compared the behavior of children with at least 15 minutes of recess a day to those with less; in teacher surveys, the children with more recess got better scores than those with less (though researchers question whether teachers were suffering more than children; being cooped up with rambunctious children six hours a day is a "causal effect" itself). There is significant science indicating that unstructured play (which often happens outdoors) is the key to mental and social health.

But what, exactly, is environmental education, does it cure nature deficit disorder, and how can we make it happen? All this is a little unclear; environmental education "includes learning in the field" and "creates the capacity for stewardship," but there is no specific requirement for outside play in the bill. It does, however, mandate preparing "children to understand and address the major environmental challenges facing the United States" and "reduce the risk of nature-deficit disorder in students by restoring and increasing field experiences as part of... curriculum." The goals of getting children into the open air are commendable, but whether the bill will change this is murky indeed.

(Photo credit:sarah gilbert)

Cabin fever? With cold weather and so much to do around the house—decorating the tree, house cleaning, getting ready for the holidays, it may be easy to become complacent and forget to spend time outdoors. But why not bundle up a bit and head out with the kids for a family hike? While it may mean lots of layered clothing, it also means less crowds and different viewing opportunities! And no Nature Deficit Disorder! Here are some terrific tips on how to make this family outing easier and more enjoyable.

Give your children a job. Kids love to be "in charge" of things. Anyone with little kids knows the power of telling a child that they are in charge of something, be it holding the family pen, notebook, snacks, you name it. In the kid's show "Oobi" (one of my faves, I must admit) Oobi and his sister and their Grampu go on a hike. Grampu knew this trick when he gave Oobi the checklist of nature items they might see, and when little sister Uma began to protest he immediately calmed her by asking her to take charge of the pencil. Simple, but oh so powerful and easy.

Make it an adventure! Kids will love almost anything if it's an adventure. I once got frighteningly lost in our local mountains heading up to a family camp. I had my then-5 year old with me and no cell phone service and I was scared—really scared. But as I kept driving around, the same few miles over and over (no doubt in a circle), I kept telling him this was an adventure—and it worked. At least, he had no idea how close we came to sleeping in the car that night. Almost anything is fun if it's classified as an "adventure".

Go with the flow. If the kids think that you need to collect 50 leaves or take numerous pictures of the same tree, why not?  We can't well expect them to believe that this is a "family" hike where their desires and presence matter and then make them simply follow us around. When my oldest was little, he and I took many hikes through Julian and Yosemite, and let me tell you, you can never have too many pinecones. So, relax—who's to say that there won't come a day when you are really, really grateful that you have 38 empty snail shells.

(Photo credit:Jon Ferron at Flickr)