- By Grant Humphreys, Town Founder
When I was a boy, my favorite hours were those spent in the top of a tree or running in the woods. Though our neighborhood was in the middle of Oklahoma City, there remained a few acres of wooded, undeveloped land, a patch of no man’s land, an island of unbridled nature, that all the kids knew simply as ‘The Pits’. The Pits was a place where BMX bikes would race through the woods at breakneck speeds on a single-track course. Where clandestine meetings would be held in the clearing beyond the view of roads or homes. Where forts were built and foxholes were dug. In The Pits, we were shut off from civilization – in a natural world of our own making.
Over time, I outgrew my BMX bike and forgot about The Pits. Life flew by with cars and college, marriage and kids, a job and a mortgage payment. In all the busyness, any evidence of The Pits disappeared. Cleared away by bulldozers, graded by dirt movers and covered with Bermuda grass for 2-acre lots. At the same time, across the country, the last remnants of the woods were transformed into manicured lawns and the trails and tree houses of a generation of kids were replaced with Nintendo and cell phones. In the name of progress, efficiency and personal accomplishment, we as a society continued to drive away from nature. Days of exploring were exchanged for far away tournaments, hours of screen time and rushing to the next scheduled event. No time for trails. No time for imagination. No time for wonder.
Through the generations, the consequences of de-naturing the American lifestyle have grown more apparent. Most of all, the youngest generation shows our growing disconnect with the natural world. This “nature deficit disorder”, a term coined by author Richard Louv in his book Last Child in the Woods, begins to explain a wide range of physical, emotional and sociological symptoms such as childhood obesity, attention disorders and depression, that plague our society at epidemic proportions.
At Carlton Landing, we believe things can be different. We think kids should have a natural outlet within walking distance of their home. Therefore, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, we are creating the Carlton Landing Nature Center so that kids young and old can reconnect with nature as part of a typical day in Carlton Landing. This Wednesday, nature experts and design professionals from across the state will join representatives from the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, the Department of Tourism and Corps of Engineers to create a master plan for the 40+ acres of wooded land between our neighborhood and Lake Eufaula. The master plan we create, to be unveiled at a public meeting on Wednesday afternoon, will include places for kids and adults to learn and to play, to escape and to explore.
We look forward to introducing you to a special place called the Carlton Landing Nature Center. As a community amenity of Carlton Landing, it will provide special moments for guests and residents to play outdoors, to find solitude on the trail, to cultivate a lifestyle filled with wonder and appreciation of God’s handiwork. More to come soon!
I just love it. It brings tears to my eyes thinking that so many of us have forgotten what life is really about. I really believe you have a great plan.
A friend of mine told me about Carlton Landing. I am hoping to come down and take a look at the development. It is going to be great.