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Local

EcoHearth – January 17, 2010

EcoHearth: How to Enjoy Nature with Your Kids

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. [+]

Research & Studies | International

Reuters Life – January 07, 2010

“Nature Starvation” Worries British Royal Society

“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. [+]

Allies | Event

KaBOOM! Encourages Communities to “Get Outside and Play!”

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. [+]

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. [+]

National | Resource

ScienceDaily – August 29, 2009

Study: Active Preschoolers Healthier Later in Life

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

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.” [+]

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. [+]

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. [+]

Research & Studies

the Land Trust Alliance – July 01, 2007

The Powerful Link Between Conserving Land and Preserving Health

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. [+] [PDF]

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

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.” [+]

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. [+]

Local | Campaign/Initiative

Mpls.St.Paul Magazine – July 05, 2009

Nature Club Makes for Happier Families in Twin Cities

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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Top Stories

Nature Essential for the Brain, Scientists Report

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American Public Health Association features a front page article on the movement

The October Issue of The Nation’s Health, The official newspaper of the American Public Health… [+]

How children lost the right to roam in four generations

Report warns that the mental health of 21st-century children is at risk because they are… [+]

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says free and unstructured play is healthy and essential

This report offers guidelines on how pediatricians can advocate for children by helping families, school… [+] [PDF]

Kids Picking TV Over Trees

The Nature Conservancy-funded study reveals more evidence of a growing trend; children spending more time… [+]

We’re mapping the Children & Nature movement.

NEW - Nature Clubs for Families Tool Kit

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Download the Tool Kit [>]
The Tool Kit includes a Quick Start Guide with simple instructions on how to start a local Nature Club for Families.

C&NN Publications

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:
Children and Nature 2009: A Report on the Movement to Reconnect Children to the Natural World
[>] Download PDF [1.1MB]
C&NN Community Action Guide: Building the Children & Nature Movement from the Ground Up
[>] Download PDF [1.4MB]