8/9/2019 Excerpt From "How To Raise A Wild Child" By Scott D. Sampson.

1/3

HOW TO RAISE A WILD CHILD: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Natre

!" Scott D# Sa$%&on

!ootfl of 'oll"wog&

Rethin(ing Natre and Childhood in 'erilo& Ti$e&

 

Sn&hine and &%ringti$e are notorio&l" rare )edfellow& in *ancover+ !riti&h Col$)ia# One da" when I

wa& for or five "ear& old+ $" $other too( $e into the fore&t a few )loc(& fro$ ho$e# She,d heard that

the -frog %ond+. a& it wa& (nown+ wa& )ri$$ing with tad%ole Cinching the deal that fatefl da" were

&cattered+ care&&ing ra"& of &n#

The event+ one of $" earlie&t $e$orie&+ )egan with a )rief+ loa$" wal( down a fore&t trail# The tree&

were thic( with $oi&tre+ &till dri%%ing fro$ the relentle&&+ dri//ling rain Arriving at the %ond+ I

&ca$%ered to the water,& edge and &0atted down+ &taring intentl"# It wa& a few $o$ent& )efore I reali/edthat each of the frenetic )lac( )lo)& )efore $e wa& a di&tinct life for$# Wearing tall )lac( r))er )oot&+ I

&te%%ed tentativel" into the water+ ca%tivated )" the larval &war$# I )ent over and &coo%ed % &everal with

$" hand& to get a clo&er loo(# !lging e"e&+ )lo)li(e )odie&+ and long+ &li$"+ tran&%arent tail& wor(ed

$adl" again&t $" finger

Ca%tivated+ I inched ot farther+ and farther &till+ ga&%ing a& the water &ddenl" overto%%ed a )oot#

12an" "ear& later+ $" $other told $e that &he &tarted to o)3ect )t thoght )etter of it#4 After he&itating

 )riefl"+ i$agining the tad%ole& now darting arond $" &oc(+ I too( another willfl &te% into the $c(#

The &econd )oot flooded#

I wa& reall" in it now+ &haring thi& %ond5niver&e with 3illion& of frog&5to5)e# Ste%%ing gingerl" &o a&

to avoid an" inadvertent a$%hi)icide+ I eventall" fond $"&elf at the %ond,& center+ the water now a)ove

wai&t level# The &en&e of wonder and the &$ile acro&& $" face grew in tande$ a& I %ic(ed % handfl

after handfl of &0ir$ing tad%ole I$$er&ed in that $iniatre &ea of %oll"wog&+ I felt+ %erha%& for the

fir&t ti$e in $" life+ a dee% and ec&tatic &en&e of onene&& with natre#

Throgh the late 6789& and 679&+ I e&ca%ed into that fore&t on *ancover,& we&t &ide whenever

 %o&&i)le+ often in the co$%an" of $" friend Ti$# Or local ele$entar" &chool )ac(ed % again&t the

fore&t+ and the forward5thin(ing ad$ini&trator& e&ta)li&hed an -Adventre 'la"grond. a$id&t a &tand of

he$loc(+ cedar+ and Dogla& fir a)tting one of the %la"ing field At rece&& and lnch+ we wold &%rint

for thi& natral wonderland+ where a giant overtrned cedar &t$% )eca$e cave+ ca&tle+ and &%ace&hi%#

A& adole&cent&+ or fore&t e;cr&ion& e;%anded e;%onentiall" a& we di&covered the fll er$an &he%herd na$ed Roc(" and Ti$ wa& acco$%anied )" Rai&in+ a

 %oodle?Si)erian h&(" $i; that re&e$)led a for5legged )all of &teel wool# 1When 0eried a)ot her

 )reed+ Ti$ wold offer the &a$e &traight5faced re%l": -'re)red 'oo)erian#.4

8/9/2019 Excerpt From "How To Raise A Wild Child" By Scott D. Sampson.

2/3

  *i&ion i& the lea&t inti$ate of h$an &en&e In the fore&t+ we were e$)raced )" the &weet+ al$o&t

citr&" fragrance of Dogla& fir@ the water5drenched at$n air that trned )reath vi&i)le@ the dee%

0wor(ing of raven& %erched high on cedar )ogh&@ and the tang" &$%to&ne&& of fre&h5%ic(ed

hc(le)errie Thi& $lti&en&or" $ilie offered a &afe %lace+ a cocoon within the world+ for adole&cent

$ale& to tal( ot their &ocial ang&t and %onder the ftre# Needle&& to &a"+ the dog& loved it too+ reli&hing

the endle&& te;tre& and &cent We e;%lored trail after trail+ with na$e& li(e Sa&a$at+ He$loc(+ andSali&h#

Often we avoided trail& entirel"+ %referring to )&hwhac( throgh the den&e coa&tal foliage+

cla$)ering over rotting log& and navigating roc(5&trewn &trea$& thic( with &(n( ca))age+ nettle&+ &alal+

and fern On the&e $eandering e;cr&ion&+ the fore&t too( on a wild and n%redicta)le flavor+ with

a$a/ing di&coverie& %o&&i)le at an" $o$ent: tee$ing ant colonie&@ dee% and $r(" %ond& li(e a%ane&e

&oa(ing t)&@ raco&+ fol5&$elling )ird roo(erie&@ and h$ongo& &t$%&+ old5growth gho&t Hor&

later+ h$an& and canine& ali(e e$erged fro$ the evergreen real$ filth"+ e;ha&ted+ and e;hilarated#

We had no idea that thi& %lace wa& i$%rinting on or heart& and $ind&+ that or %ore& were &oa(ing

% ever" $o$ent#

After a )ig winter &nowfall 1al&o a rare occrrence4+ the fore&t tran&for$ed "et again# !linding whitene&&

 )lan(eted ever" )ranch+ twig+ and needle# What had &ee$ed a &hadowed+ entangled+ noi&" %lace 3&t the

da" %rior wa& now a rolling+ &n5drenched refge of dee%+ cathedral5li(e &ilence B all edge& gone# Light5 

hearted+ we %nched throgh the heav" &now+ &to%%ing occa&ionall" to longe in caveli(e &now5free

/one& )eneath &o$e of the larger tree

In or $id5teenage "ear&+ te&to&terone overdo&e& $anife&ted in the fore&t a& a ri&(" ga$e d))ed

-Deelo War. A deelo 1et"$olog" ncertain4 wa& an" %iece of wood" de)ri& that "o cold heft at

&o$eone el&e# In e&&ence+ the &trateg" a$onted to a)andoning cover of tree or )&h 3&t long enogh to

hrl large &tic(& at &everal of "or clo&e&t friend Of cor&e+ the" were )&" doing the &a$e B ever" $an 

for hi$&elf# All of & &&tained a few direct hit&+ )t I,$ ha%%" to re%ort that no &erio& in3rie& re&lted#

1No+ I don,t reco$$end tr"ing thi& at ho$e#4

I de%arted *ancover in the $id5679& to attend gradate &chool in Toronto+ eventall" earning a

'h#D# and )eco$ing a %aleontologi&t# Ti$+ $eanwhile+ headed &("ward+ )eco$ing a co$$ercial airline

 %ilot# In the &cceeding decade&+ I,ve )een fortnate enogh to hnt for dino&ar )one& in &ch far5flng

locale& a& i$)a)we+ 2e;ico+ and 2adaga&car# C$lativel"+ I,ve &%ent "ear& living in tent& in re$ote

 %lace& often referred to a& -)adland. While ot fo&&il5hnting+ I,ve had face5to5face enconter& with an

a&&ort$ent of a$a/ing+ and ver" $ch alive creatre&+ a$ong the$ )ear+ ele%hant+ h"ena+ co)ra+ $oo&e+

and crocodile# !t the &en&e& with which I,ve e;%erienced the&e %lace& and their inha)itant& were attned

in that &econd5growth te$%erate fore&t on *ancover,& we&t &ide# Together with fa$il" ca$%ing tri%&+dail" %la" in the wild corner& of or neigh)orhood+ and+ later+ long hi(e& in the Coa&t Range $ontain&+

tho&e contle&& tre(& in the Endow$ent Land& fo&tered in $e a %er&i&tent %a&&ion for natre+ ndo)tedl"

inflencing $" career %ath# In recent "ear& I,ve co$e to reali/e that I can,t hel% )t ta(e that 'acific

 Northwe&t fore&t with $e wherever I go# It i& an indeli)le %art of who I a$+ $ore li(e a len& on the world

than a collection of $e$orie

8/9/2019 Excerpt From "How To Raise A Wild Child" By Scott D. Sampson.

3/3

Excerpted from HOW TO RAISE A WILD CHILD: The Art and Science of Falling in Loe !ith

"at#re $% Scott D& Samp'on& Cop%right ( )*+, $% Scott D& Samp'on& -'ed $% permi''ion of

Ho#ghton .ifflin Harco#rt /#$li'hing Compan%& All right' re'ered&