In the last two decades Attention Deficit Disorder and childhood obesity have grown at staggering rates. For the first time in our history we're looking at an entire generation of children that may not outlive their parents. Much of this believed to be directly tied to children going indoors.

The reasons range from parents being afraid of stranger danger to the lack of places for children to experience nature to the growing dependency on technology for entertainment. Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods takes us on a journey through studies, statistics and personal accounts of his own and others who have seen the changes occur and what happens when children are brought back into nature.



Richard Louv. Photo courtesy of www.richardlouv.com.

Louv points to number of studies that have shown that children that play in nature have greater levels of creativity, self-confidence and lower rates of depression. His research of various studies shows that we are experiencing what he refers to as Nature Deficit Disorder. Are we as species trying to replace things that are necessary to us as living beings with technology and drugs? Furthermore, are we failing at that? A simple look at health statistics suggests that something is very wrong. It's certainly something we need to look at seriously and we need to do it now. Louv also explores the growing rates of ADD over the last two decades and connects it to children going indoors and being disconnected with nature.

Even more importantly Louv poses a question to readers on preserving areas for nature play. Most of our advocates for open spaces and nature have been brought up in the outdoors. They've had great connections with nature. They've been general outdoors people, climbers, explorers... These same people were founders of the Sierra Club and other advocacy organizations. If children today don't grow up with a connection to nature how will they find it important or see a need to protect it when they get older?

This book is a must read for parents, education professionals, city planners, park land managers and anyone else walking the planet. This book is on my top ten list for outdoors people.

To view Richard Louv's Bio on his website Click Here.

Below is 12-minute video from KQED in Northern California that explores the changes that have been happening over the last two decades and Nature Deficit Disorder.



QUEST on KQED Public Media.