Research & Studies News
Media & Culture | Resource
New York Times – January 20, 2010
New Study Finds Kids Plugged-In 7.5 Hours a Day
By Tamar Lewin
The average young American now spends practically every waking minute—except for the time in school—using a smart phone, computer, television, or other electronic device, according to a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The study also found a link between heavy media use and several negatives, including behavior problems and lower grades.
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International | Health
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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Education
City of Cambridge – November 24, 2009
Cambridge Task Force Releases Playground Report
The City of Cambridge Healthy Parks and Playgrounds Task Force has released its findings in the form of a 30-page report. The task force was created to explore the role of parks and playgrounds in the health, learning, and overall development of children, and the ways in which they support strong families and communities. It was charged with creating recommendations for new and innovative approaches to the design and operation of future public parks and playgrounds. [+]
Health
– 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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Health
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 | Media & Culture
The Telegraph – February 20, 2010
British Study Attributes Nature Disconnect to Parents’ Fears
By Julie Henry
British researchers have found that parents tend to limit family excursions to the countryside because of their own fears. The countryside, it seems, is out of the comfort zone of many affluent, suburban parents today.
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Built Environment | Event
Natural Learning Initiative – February 16, 2010
Growing in Place Symposium Coming March 5
How can we plan and design a public realm where children find the physical and social stimulation necessary for healthy human development in consonance with the culture and ecology of the places where they live? That's the question participants will address in the Growing in Place Symposium to be held March 5 in Raleigh, North Carolina. [+]
Built Environment
Washington Post – November 17, 2009
Benefits of “Park Prescriptions” Noted in Washington Post
By Daphne Miller
Support within the medical community is growing for the the use of nature experiences as a healing aid. Physician Daphne Miller, writing in the Washington Post, notes that doctors around the country are medicating their patients with nature in order to prevent (or treat) health problems ranging from heart disease to attention deficit disorder.
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Resource
Outdoor Resources Review Group – July 01, 2009
Great Outdoors America: The Report of the Outdoor Resources Review Group
The "Great Outdoors America" report by the Outdoor Resources Review Group is the first major assessment of the nation's outdoor resources since 1987. Released in July 2009, this comprehensive assessment of the nation's outdoor resources makes several key recommendations for safeguarding natural resources and increasing outdoor recreation opportunities including those for children and families. The Outdoor Resources Review Group has also published a series of backgrounders that cover a range of topics such as the relationship between outdoor recreation, health, and wellness.
Resource
Outdoor Resources Review Group – July 06, 2009
Great Outdoors America Report Arrives on Capitol Hill
The Great Outdoors America Report, a wide-ranging review of how Americans engage with and value the nation’s natural resources and its outdoor recreation assets, is being presented today (July 6) to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Senators Jeff Bingaman and Lamar Alexander. Among the report’s key recommendations is the vigorous promotion of outdoor activities, especially in schools, to reconnect individuals at an early age to nature and physical pursuits. [+]
Health | Resource
Boston Globe – January 02, 2009
Nature Essential for the Brain, Scientists Report
By Jonah Lehrer
For the first time in history, the majority of the world’s people live in cities. Yet being in a city, scientists are discovering, impairs a person’s basic mental processes: the brain is less able to hold things in memory, and self-control becomes compromised. One of the main reasons for this impairment is the lack of nature in urban environments.
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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:
