Breckenridge Real Estate Blog

We are so very lucky to live in our splendid Rocky Mountain environs among people who truly appreciate every joyous snowflake, our vibrant flowing streams, and each resplendent wildflower. Residents of Breckenridge real estate, by their decision to invest in a home in Summit or Park County are spurning the trend to live the life of a couch potato.

It is refreshingly easy to do when the family next door is active, too. Citizens and owners of vacation real estate in Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain, Frisco, and Silverthorne, Fairplay, and Alma CO homes love to be out in the tingling cold. They love to explore the backcountry, hit their golf balls into infinity, and forge rivers. They even love being outside for community events and festivals.

Children growing up who spend time in natural surroundings build an inner communion with nature, a life of peace and tranquility. Remember your parents telling you to go outside? As Bil Keane recently accentuated in his ”Family Circus” depiction of a little boy coming in the door covered from head to toe with mud, some parents understand the value of outdoor play. The little boy says to his parent, “But I wouldn’t get dirty if you’d let me play my Xbox.”

Just as thought-provoking is a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that was funded by The Nature Conservancy. The study finds people spending less time outdoors and more time in front of those humongous televisions and ever-present computers. In a shift away from outdoor recreation, less time is being spent camping, fishing, and going to the park.

The figures are quite alarming. An Associated Press article quotes the authors of the study who say, “Declining nature participation has crucial implications for current conservation efforts.” Apparently people who do not understand the value of nature will have less interest in preserving our environment, maintaining our parks, and assisting with biodiversity conservation.

“The replacement of vigorous outdoor activities by sedentary, indoor video-philia has far-reaching consequences for physical and mental health, especially in children.” Why is the United States seeing an epidemic of obesity, lack of socialization, attention disorders, and poor academic performance? During the 1980s and 1990s, as video games began to flourish in both the United States and Japan, the rates for fishing, hiking, and visiting national parks started dropping.

Other factors may come into play, but if we look at our own lives, we are sure to realize our experience in nature as foundational to our strengths.