What Would Grizzly Adams Do?

As a little kid I used to watch Grizzly Adams and Ben tear through the forest, chewing my braids as I strained to sense the scents and sights. So when my parents finally took us to the Black Hills one summer, I ran through the real forest, breathing in the pine and earth and windy scents of wildflowers. It was so much better than watching it on TV. Alas, since my favorite television show in my little girl days went off the air in 1982, our connection to nature has been steadily weakening, NPR reports. Participation in outdoorsy activities such as hiking, fishing and camping has dropped 18 percent since the 1980s, according to a University of Illinois study.

We once used to view the wild as a romantic playground where you could connect to something primal and divine, says environmental historian Mark Barrow. But in a new “era of mediated nature” the Great Outdoors may be increasingly confined to zoos and plasma-screen TVs.

Grizzly and Ben would be so sad.

There is hope for us, though. For instance, a high school program in northern Vermont holds classes outdoors all year long and focuses on the teachings of Henry David Thoreau. And twentysomethings are finding their place in the natural world and writing enthusiastic essays about their experiences.

©2026 World Hum, All Rights Reserved