I am happy to say that my son is not suffering from nature-deficit disorder, he learned to walk in the pine forest featured in the photograph above, it’s a rare day when we fail to venture outside to learn from the natural world.

In 2004 as a third grade teacher, I proposed that my class make a small garden on the school property… I wish I had pictures to show off my nine year olds eating radish’s and lettuce. My love for gardening and nature have carried me through the good times and the bad times. As a geologist, I have tried to understand the Earth and know things about the rock types and history, rocks are our universal foundation. Nature is a foundation for me.

I am so excited about the national movement to engage children with nature. Although it does seem a little bazaar that we need a movement to get children outside. That said; I want to share some helpful webpage links for parents and educators interested new ideas for taking children outside.

Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, outlines beautifully the disconnect from nature that our children are experiencing and the subsequent consequences. His book is a best-seller and a must read.

Countless organizations have jumped on board to sail into a new time, where we can hear children playing in the woods, along streams, through the mountains. Check out what’s going on in your neck of the woods!

Children in Nature Collaborative
Children’s Nature Institute
Children and Nature Network
GreenHour
No Child Left Inside

Please email me or comment with additional links that you know of specific to your region.

Thanks for reading!

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