On our regular walk in the woods the other day, Dan and I bagged three zebras, a lion, a dinosaur, and two disturbing naked kewpie dolls. Two of the zebras were damaged, one with shards like ribs where it had been shattered, but the plastic did not enrich the forest as real ribs would. They were nothing but trouble. The lion was fitted with a battery and made a strange machine noise every time it moved. It had been placed on a thin branch, so the machine came on with every breeze.

For those of you who don’t know, Forest Park is in the city but it is not an ordinary city park. It is one of the rarest of all environments: urban wildland. With over 5000 acres and more than 80 miles of trails it offers a sanctuary for native wildlife and an opportunity for city dwellers to reconnect with nature.

 I don’t know why someone brings toys and other small pieces of garbage to the forest. Sometimes I imagine the stuff is left by a bereaved parent who can’t face throwing beloved toys into the garbage. But that’s almost certainly fanciful. Dan and I decided it’s more likely that a well-meaning adult arranges the garbage around the trails to entertain a child.

It’s sad to imagine a child so jaded that they need a trail decorated with toys to enjoy a walk in the forest, but maybe it’s not surprising. The average American eight-year-old spends six hours a day on screens, entertained by programming designed by experts to keep them compulsively involved. How can a forest compete with that?

But if you’re looking for toy African animals, you might miss the snail, sheltering in its Fibonacci shell. A Pacific Sideband? Or an Oregon Forest Snail? Modern life does a lot to dampen our senses. Maybe it’s good for the economy, but it’s hard on the soul. Imagine eating a bag of Cheetos and then trying to enjoy a peach. Sprinkling Cheeto dust on the fruit won’t help. You need time to recover. It’s worth it; the peach is better.

I’ve been thinking of the ways my senses have grown dull. Beguiled by online puzzles, news, and gossip, I spend too much time turned away from the non-human world, which, after all, is my true home. I know better, but the internet is so easy and so gratifying. As the days darken and I retreat inside, I’m rededicating myself to yoga practice, to meditation, and all the quiet simple things I can do to stay fresh and alive to the real world. And if you know any jaded children, don’t pander –poor innocents! Help them recover their senses and lead them in a new direction.