As a history teacher, I’m well aware of how easily we forget the context of our own history. So here’s a quick refresher on why we celebrate Earth Day on April 22.

It was 1970 when Sen. Gaylord Nelson, D-Wisconsin, created Earth Day as a way to put environmental issues on the front-burner and begin changing attitudes toward our natural world.

Fifty years ago, through her book “Silent Spring,” Rachel Carson began this attitude change as she raised public awareness and concern for living organisms, the environment and public health. In December 1970, Congress authorized the creation of a new federal agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to tackle environmental issues.

We started to stand up for what was happening in our backyards because we knew and loved these outdoor spaces.

It is time for another attitude change regarding our relationship with our backyards. We love what we know. If we don’t know about our nearby nature, or have a connection, it will certainly be more difficult for positive policies or attitudes toward our environment to occur in the future.

It is because people played outside and appreciated their wild spaces that we now have a variety of environmental protections, preserved open spaces, and trails for future generations to enjoy. But is there a guarantee that our future generations will enjoy and appreciate these spaces?

The imperative of parents today is to introduce our children to what many are taking for granted: their backyards and nearby wild places.

Anyone older than 40 remembers life before screens. Few channels and electronic temptations made us heed Mom’s advice to go outside because it was “too nice a day to be inside.” Or how many of us remember as we were headed out the door the phrase, “Be home before dark?”

Off we went, exploring nearby rivers, fields, woods and streams often alone and out of voice contact with our parents. We were free and unsupervised, and the play was not scheduled or structured.

This generation will be the first generation to spend more time behind screens than playing outside. Books like Richard Louv’s “Last Child in the Woods” and movies like Norwegian filmmaker Tonje Hessen Schei’s “Play Again” examine what this relationship change might mean.

“Play Again” is a part of The Frontier Café’s programming during Earth Week. Mark Thursday, April 26, on your calendar and come see it.

There is even a name that has been applied to this relationship change, “Nature Deficit Disorder,” which is now being attributed to higher frequencies of attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity.

Lack of outdoor play also has been connected to our rising obesity levels among children. Obesity is such that this generation of children could basically be the first in the history of the United States to live less healthy and shorter lives than their parents. Whether this is true or not, it will be for the medical community to sort out through coming generations.

Among other things, it means we adults need to become more intentional toward encouraging our kids to spend time outside, doing the activities many of us took for granted when we were younger.

Through our many programs that seek to re-connect our community to nature, the Cathance River Education Alliance witnesses firsthand the importance of naturebased learning opportunities for all ages.

Believe it or not, young people love and desire to be outside. It is in their DNA.

We adults need to do a better job at modeling the way life used to be before the age of multiple screens and electronic temptations totally takes us over.

As Earth Day 2012 celebrations rain down upon us, reacquaint yourself with your favorite nearby wild place.

Pull yourself and a younger person away from your computer, TV, iPad, iPod, cellphone, Kindle or other preferred device and take a walk, or even a hike.

We love what we know. Our nearby wild spaces are worth loving and knowing.

Go explore your nearby wild place and fall in love again.

Rick Wilson of Brunswick teaches at Brunswick High School and serves as executive director of the Cathance River Education Alliance in Topsham.

letters@timesrecord.com