Commentary News
Media & Culture | Review
Burlington Free Press – December 06, 2009
Vermont Filmmaker Explores Positive Influence of Nature
By Joel Banner Baird
Vermont filmmaker Camilla Rockwell’s new documentary explores how time spent in nature influences child health and development, and suggests ways that adults can revive young people's appetite for the outdoors. As Rockwell tells the Burlington Free Press, she was inspired to create the film after reading Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods.
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National | Media & Culture | Resource
Vancouver Sun – September 22, 2009
Ken Burns National Parks Documentary Series Premieres on PBS
By Alex Strachan
The National Park’s: America’s Best Idea, a six-night documentary series by acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns, airs on PBS starting September 27. Burns hopes the series will encourage more city dwellers and rural residents alike to visit their national parks and to revisit that part of them that resides in nature.
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Education | Health | Media & Culture
CBS News – August 06, 2009
CBS Puts Spotlight on Nature-Deficit Disorder
Watch CBS Videos Online
Jonathan Dorn, editor-in-chief of Backpacker magazine, made a recent appearance on The Early Show to discusses the best places in the country for raising an outdoor kid. In doing so, Dorn provided a succinct definition of nature-deficit disorder and offered advice on how city dwellers can help their children connect with nature.
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Leadership
The Passing of Thomas Berry
On June 1, 2009, Thomas Berry, whose philosophy helped shape the way we perceive the human relationship with nature, died. He was a great supporter of our work, and served on the C&NN advisory board. Andrew Revkin of the New York Times wrote a perceptive and sensitive obituary. In addition, Revkin wrote a wonderful entry about the remarkable Berry legacy on his Dot Earth blog for the Times. Both pieces include a video clip of a 2006 interview with Berry. We hope you’ll read Revkin's story and blog, and watch the inspiring video. We believe that Berry will be remembered as one of the great thinkers of the 20th century, and we will miss him. Visit our own C&NN blog to read an updated essay about Thomas Berry by C&NN Chairman Richard Louv.
Health
New York Times – April 15, 2009
New York Times: The Case for Natural Happiness
By Paul Bloom
Psychologist Paul Bloom, writing in the New York Times Magazine, offers a unique perspective on why maintaining a connection with nature is crucial for people. “Real natural habitats provide significant sources of pleasure for modern humans,” he writes. “We intuitively grasp this, and this knowledge underlies the anxiety that we feel about nature’s loss.”
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Media & Culture
The Canadian Press – December 09, 2008
Removal of Nature Words from Dictionary Causes Uproar
A decision by the publisher of the Oxford Junior Dictionary to replace words like “beaver” and “dandelion” with “blog” and “MP3 player” has prompted some to react with outrage. As noted wildlife artist and conservationist Robert Bateman observed, “If you can’t name things, how can you love them? And if you don't love them, then you’re not going to care a hoot about protecting them or voting for issues that would protect them.” [+]
Media & Culture
QUEST series focuses on Nature Deficit Disorder
On May 12, San Francisco's KQED Public Television series QUEST aired this special report on why we need nature, and efforts to encourage children to play outdoors.
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Health | Leadership
New York Times – August 01, 2009
Nicholas Kristof: Let’s Get Kids Awed by Nature
By Nicholas Kristof
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, writing on the growing disconnect between children and nature, believes that getting kids awed by nature is as important as getting them reading. “Children for 1,000 generations grew up exploring fields, itching with poison oak and discovering the hard way what a wasp nest looks like. That’s no longer true.”
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Media & Culture
Kansas City Star – July 12, 2009
Using Twitter to Sell the Appeal of the Outdoors
By Chad Day
As the Kansas City Star reports, one of the biggest challenges facing conservationists, fishing enthusiasts, and others trying to interest young people in the outdoors is that this younger generation is essentially an indoor generation. The key to reaching them, then, may be using social-networking tools like Facebook and Twitter.
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Education | Resource
PRWeb – July 02, 2009
Nature School Issues Guide for Connecting Kids with Nature
A new book developed by the nonprofit Wilderness Awareness School in Washington State introduces experiential teaching methods to help parents, teachers, and outdoor leaders share the wonder of nature with kids of all ages. Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature is, in the words of one of its authors, a “way of teaching [that] hones students' senses and connects their imagination to the natural world.” [+]
Education | Legislation/Policy
New York Times Magazine – April 29, 2009
New York Times Magazine: Kindergarten Cram
By Peggy Orenstein
Kindergarten has changed in the last few decades, and not necessarily for the better, writes Peggy Orenstein in the New York Times Magazine. Rather than letting children engage in free play, the typical kindergarten class today focuses on standardized tests and literacy exercises. Orenstein questions this trend, and finds support for her beliefs in the “Crisis in the Kindergarten” report by the Alliance for Childhood.
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Leadership
C&NN Natural Leader, Maya Quintana, Shares Her Thoughts on the Benefits of Time Spent in Nature
By Maya Melissa Quintana
Maya Quintana, a Native American from the pueblos of Cochiti and Zia, shares a transformational experience that helped her understand the benefits of time spent in nature. Maya attended the 2008 C&NN Grassroots Gathering in Nebraska as a founding member of C&NN's "Natural Leaders."
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Media & Culture
Idaho Statesman – December 23, 2008
Gift Ideas to Get Kids Outdoors
By Peter Zimowsky
Rather than waiting in line for the latest electronic gadget, parents should consider giving their children toys that encourage outdoor play. Writer Peter Zimowsky of the Idaho Statesman offers a number of suggestions, including compact binoculars and kid-sized fishing poles. He also reminds parents that giving an outdoors gift means committing to take their children fishing, hiking, birding, or sledding.
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As part of our ongoing efforts to build the movement, the Children & Nature Network has published two new resources for leaders, organizers, and participants at the local, national, and international levels:
An annotated bibliography of 20 premier studies focusing on the children and nature connection.
