A Little Nature In My Home

I often go on random errands with my mom, and one day, I found myself at the Boy Scout store. This particular store was large and expansive, and very impressive. They had everything from an Native American roach kit to handmade, leather belts to sporks. I was drawn to the book section and one book kind of jumped out at me from the shelf. "The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder" by Richard Louv. I was intrigued. I liked nature, but what was this nature-deficit disorder? Surely a homeschooler like me wouldn't have that, right? I flipped through the pages and skimmed the chapters, and was immediately hooked. I needed the information in this book!
In a nutshell, nature-deficit disorder is a fancy way of saying that a person has become too disconnected from nature. Even a nature lover like myself spends way too much time inside the house in front of a electronic screen (like blogging, oh no!) But Louv is not anti-technology. On the contrary, he recognizes and approves of the amazing advancements human society has made. The Internet is awesome, cellphones are essential, and blogging is a great way to share ideas with hundreds of people. In his book, Louv teaches that technology should not be replaced with nature interaction, but that there should be a healthy balance. The more technology that's in my life, the more nature interaction there should be, too. Louv does a great job citing dozens of scientific studies and theories that support the benefits of nature in the human life. I prefer personal experiences and stories myself, but the scientific info is good for any doubters who may read his book. And Louv does share his personal insights into nature interactions as well as the insights of others. It's those parts of the book that especially touch and inspire me, because I am a feeler. I read something and know it is true deep in my heart, or at least the thought inspired by the reading is true, if that makes sense.

I was inspired to spend more time outside, even when it is hot and muggy like it often is in North Carolina. I also wanted to bring more nature inside my home as well. The main way I have done this is through my frog terrarium.

It's a 30-gallon fish tank on a wooden stand. Inside are three glass figurines from Hobby Lobby, two live plants (pothos and dracaena), and a green tree frog. I LOVE frogs and hope to put more in the tank! Anyway, this terrarium brings a bit of nature into my home. It's green, bright, and makes me happy. And hopefully, it helps me avoid the dreaded nature-deficit disorder.







The terrarium seen from afar. It took some time and effort to put it together. I'll blog about the process another time.















A closer look inside the terrarium. The ivy on the top and the fern in the middle are both fake plants. The pothos is on the far left and the dracaena is on the far right. Both are easy plants to grow in a terrarium and safe for frogs to crawl around in.










The glass squirrel is probably my favorite! They were unexpectedly expensive, but thankfully 50% off at Hobby Lobby. In case you're wondering what that big, ugly black thing is in the background, it's a heater for the frog.

















The fake froggie next to the pothos.
















The very artsy snail next to the dracaena.



















The real froggie on the fake ivy. It's a green tree frog bought from Petsmart. It is not tame but can be caught and held if I really put the effort in. I love frogs!