Last child in the woods: The Nature-Deficit Disorder

Richard Louv, author of “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder,” and chairman of the Children & Nature Network, speaks about the transformation in the relationship between children and nature, how society is teaching young people to avoid direct experience in nature. That unintended message is delivered by schools, families, even organizations devoted to the outdoors, and codified into the legal and regulatory structures of many of our local communities. He also describes the new body of scientific evidence demonstrating just how important direct contact with the outdoors is to healthy child development, touching on such health issues as ADHD, child obesity, stress, creativity and cognitive functioning. To stimulate a “Leave No Child Inside” movement, he offers practical suggestions for action by parents, grandparents, government agencies,  conservationists, urban planners, educators and others concerned about the future of childhood and the earth itself.