Health News
Local
EcoHearth – January 17, 2010
EcoHearth: How to Enjoy Nature with Your Kids
By Kim Ridley
Journalist Kim Ridley has compiled a list of tips to help families connect with nature. Her article also includes pointers to online resources such as the National Audubon Society's guide to creating a healthy yard for attracting wildlife.
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Research & Studies | International
Reuters Life – January 07, 2010
“Nature Starvation” Worries British Royal Society
By Paul Casciato
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Europe's largest wildlife conservation charity, says it has uncovered a worrying trend of "nature starvation" among young Britons. The society surveyed 1,000 people, and found that only a third of those under 35 feel connected to the natural world, compared with more than half of those over 35.
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Allies | Event
KaBOOM! Encourages Communities to “Get Outside and Play!”
By Bethe Almeras - The Grass Stain Guru
From September 19 - 27, over 1,000 communities across the U.S. will host free, fun-for-the-whole-family events that focus on the importance of play in children’s lives. Whether you are a naturalist who does children’s programming, a parent that heads-up a Family Nature Club, a recreation leader at a teen center, or a park ranger, KaBOOM! encourages you to host a Play Day in your community.
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Commentary | Education | 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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National | Resource
ScienceDaily – August 29, 2009
Study: Active Preschoolers Healthier Later in Life
Being active at age five helps kids stay lean as they age even if they don't remain as active later in childhood, a new University of Iowa study shows. The implication, according to the study’s lead author, is that “even five-year-olds should be encouraged to be as active as possible because it pays off as they grow older.” [+]
National | Education | Resource
Children, Youth and Environments Center for Research and Design – July 28, 2009
Fact Sheet Summarizes Benefits of Gardening for Children
Third- to fifth-grade students who participated in a one-year gardening program showed a significant increase in self-understanding and the ability to work in groups compared to nonparticipating students. That’s one of the many findings summarized in a new fact sheet on the benefits of gardening for children published by the Children, Youth and Environments Center for Research and Design at the University of Colorado at Denver. [+]
Commentary
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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Research & Studies
– February 19, 2009
Nature Essential to Health, Researcher Says
By ScienceDaily
Access to nature is critical for people of all ages, according to Frances Kuo, a professor of natural resources and environmental science and psychology at the University of Illinois. “In our studies, people with less access to nature show relatively poor attention or cognitive function, poor management of major life issues, poor impulse control,” Kuo says. The beneficial effects of nature even extend to children: those with ADHD have better concentration after a walk in a park compared to a walk in an urban setting.
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Allies | Leadership
Grist – December 18, 2007
REI Chief Bemoans Overscheduled Kids
By Sarah Van Schagen
Sally Jewell, the head of outdoor-equipment retailer REI, says in a recent interview that children spend far too much of their time in front of computer or television screens. She credits Richard Louv with putting into words her concerns about young people today. The challenge, she says, is getting technology and nature to work together for their benefit.
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Research & Studies
the Land Trust Alliance – July 01, 2007
The Powerful Link Between Conserving Land and Preserving Health
By Howard Frumkin and Richard Louv for the Land Trust Alliance Special Anniversary Report, 2007
Co-written by Howard Frumkin, M.D., Dr.P.H., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Richard Louv for the Land Trust Alliance Special Anniversary Report, 2007.
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International
University of Essex – February 25, 2010
New UK Report Details Ten Priorities for Action
There's growing evidence that contact with nature and the physical activity related to this contact affect not only children's well-being in the present but also their health in later life. To encourage more such contact, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Environment and Society at the University of Essex in England has released "Nature, Childhood, Health and Life Pathways," a report that describes ten priorities for policy action to improve the well-being of both children and adults. [+]
National | Campaign/Initiative | Legislation/Policy
Children & Nature Network – February 04, 2010
Groups Ask First Lady to Include “Outdoor in Nature” Component
In the wake of First Lady Michelle Obama's announcement that she will be leading a special nationwide initiative to combat childhood obesity, a number of organizations have written her an open letter urging this initiative to include an “outdoors in nature” component. The National Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club, and the Children & Nature Network are among the groups that signed the letter. [+]
National | Legislation/Policy
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – January 28, 2010
U.S. Surgeon General Advocates Outdoor Play
In her first release to the nation, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin is encouraging communities to build and enhance infrastructures to support more walking and bicycling, and to improve the safety of neighborhoods to facilitate outdoor physical activity. The Surgeon General’s Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation highlights the alarming trend of obesity in this country, especially among young people, and asks all Americans to join her in a grassroots effort to commit to changes that promote the health and wellness of our families and communities. [+]
Commentary | 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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Local | Campaign/Initiative
Hudson Valley Council, BSA – August 01, 2009
Scouts’ Recruitment Theme: No Child Is Left Inside
By Ethan Klapper
The Hudson Valley Council of the Boy Scouts, inspired by Last Child in the Woods, is combating nature-deficit disorder by encouraging others to spend more time outside and to stay active. Their recruitment theme this year: No Child Is Left Inside.
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Local | Campaign/Initiative
Mpls.St.Paul Magazine – July 05, 2009
Nature Club Makes for Happier Families in Twin Cities
By Laura Billings
The idea for the Happy Trails Nature Club, a loose-knit group of families who gather at parks and nature preserves around the Twin Cities for “planned spontaneity,” came to local mother Jodi Hiland after reading Last Child in the Woods. “I just want to show other parents what we’ve learned,” she explains, “which is when you go out in nature, you teach kids how to shift from one gear to another—and that’s a really important skill to have.”
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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:
