In Big Sky country, the opportunity to head out and hike, ride a horse, ski, white-water raft, fly fish and the slew of other activities are right at our front door, but how many people pursue them?
Margot Angstrom is a co-author of "Let the Kid Guide: Putting Nature Back Into Our Lives," and tells how the pandemic reinforced sedentary behavior.
Angstrom says the pandemic essentially relied on people utilizing screens and technology to work and connect.
“Screens are hard. I think the first thing that we need to do as adults is get off our screens ourselves—and that’s the model piece. Our kids pick up on our cues and they see what we value, through what we do,” she said.
Connecting with nature and loved ones does not have a price tag or an expectation of luxury. "When going to pick up my kids, I tend to park a couple blocks away so we have that time to take in our surroundings," Angstrom said. Asking questions, taking pictures, and collecting odds and ends are all ways to interact with the world around you.
“Letting the kid guide means coming back to that place where you are present in your spot, you are looking around, you are curious, and you are right here right now,” Angstrom said.
Now more than ever, folks need to reconnect with nature, according to Angstrom. She and her fellow co-author, Lisa Kosglow, wrote this book to spark ideas of ways they can have an adventure right outside their door.
