Quote:
Originally Posted by GGG
I believe the bolded to be false. Park visitation and trail use I believe has been consistently increasing. I might agree that we are creating collectives that never get out and people who get out way more but overall the outdoors is cool right now.
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Visits to national parks is not a useful indicator or how much time people spend outdoors in a natural environment. Children today, for instance, spend a fraction of the time playing in woods, watching birds and frogs, and walking outdoors than their counterparts 30 or 40 years ago.
If you were to walk through South Glenmore Park or Fish Creek on a July afternoon 35 years ago, when Calgary had less than half the population it has today, you would come across a dozen or more groups of kids riding bikes, climbing trees, building dams in the creek, catching frogs, and playing tag or guns. Today, you might come across a few kids out on bike rides with their parents. Going for a bike ride with mom and dad once a week is no substitute for spending hours a day, several days a week, playing with your friends outdoors.