Children who play in the wilderness are more likely to become environmentally responsible adults, a new study suggests.

Nancy Wells, an environmental psychologist at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., analyzed the childhood nature memories of 2,000 city dwellers.

"Wild play" activities such as camping and fishing had a far greater impact than gardening, Girl Guide outings or mandatory environmental education for creating adults with environmentalist beliefs, Wells concluded.

Kids who play outdoors maintain respect for nature as adults, a U.S. researcher says.

"The younger the better," Wells said. "If the kids are supervised and safe, get them out there into nature."

The study will be published in the next issue of the journal Children, Youth and Environment.

One-year-old Kate spends a lot of time outside, skiing, hiking and canoeing with her parents in and around Prince George, B.C.

"She loves to be outside," her mother, Nadine Hale, said. "She's way more stimulated outside. As soon as the door opens, she's running."

This love of nature runs in the family, added her father, Peter Hale.

"We were both brought up that way, and we're passing it on," he said.