San Mateo County Youth Commission hosts program to promote ‘bio-empathy’

The idea was led by Elle Wihlbeck, a sophomore and member of the Youth Commission who believes getting kids outside can’t be something optional. 

“Kids today are spending less and less time outside in nature. That’s not just ‘too bad,’ it is the thing that causes the problems of our planet,” Wihlbeck said. 

The most effective way to get people to care about sustainability and protecting the Earth is to get them outdoors, Wihlbeck said. 

Wihlbeck’s work on the Nature Bus with the Youth Commission is focused on engaging young people, in particular, to develop an appreciation for the world surrounding them — or what she describes as bio-empathy. 

Bio-empathy, to Wihlbeck, is the emotional and deep connection with all life forms, “even the worms and rats.” Without bio-empathy, addressing climate change and living sustainably is much harder, Wihlbeck said. 

“If it’s driven by fear, or self preservation, it won’t work long term,” Wihlbeck said. “It’s realizing that protecting nature isn’t a sacrifice, it’s natural and something you truly want to do.” 

During the weekend in January, the Nature Bus took students to Coyote Point and San Pedro Valley Park where they planted redwood trees, played outdoor games and hiked around to get to know the area. 

Although it took a decent amount of coordination, including a bus funded by the Youth Commission, the program had a very direct and tangible impact on the students who were able to attend, Wihlbeck said. 

“Getting kids outside isn’t all that hard, we only need to provide the opportunity and the encouragement,” Wihlbeck said. “Some were hesitant to touch dirt but, at the end of each day, the kids were bonded with each other and with the nature around them.” 

Working on the Nature Bus allowed Wihlbeck to share something for which she has always had an appreciation. 

“I live near a nature preserve, and it’s always been a part of my life, but not all kids get that,” Wihlbeck said. “I have developed bio-empathy, but I want to share it with people because it’s so important.” 

The goal is for the Nature Bus to return and be sustained by the Youth Commission, Wihlbeck said. Hopefully in the future, she said, it can draw students from different backgrounds or from denser urban spaces with less outdoor amenities nearby. 

Excited to continue the work to get young people outdoors, Wihlbeck said it is everyone’s responsibility to get the youth, and one another, out into nature. 

“I really think it’s the key thing to save the planet and our own health,” Wihlbeck said. “You can feel that if you just go outside.”