Children & Nature News and Commentary
June 2008
C&NN Summer Reading Recommendations: Recent and Not-So-Recent contributions to the children and nature library of resources.
Summer is a time for camping, canoeing, and other outdoor pursuits. It’s also a time for reading good books, and the number of titles devoted to the children and nature movement, like the movement itself, continues to grow.
In addition to an updated version of Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods (which now features a section describing 100 actions that can be taken by families and communities), readers should also look for the recently published and highly recommended Childhood and Nature: Design Principles for Educators, by David Sobel.
Another significant new book is Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life, edited by Stephen R. Kellert, with essays including “Healthy Planet, Healthy Children: Designing Nature into the Daily Spaces of Childhood,” by Robin C. Moore and Clare Cooper Marcus.
The following is a partial list of these and other recent and not-so-recent contributions to the children and nature library of resources.
New Releases
 Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life, by Stephen R. Kellert, Judith H. Heerwagen, and Martin L. Mador.
Biophilic Design is a series of essays looking at the design and construction of buildings and communities in relation to the natural world. Two essays in particular focus on the impact of these design decisions on children: “Healthy Planet, Healthy Children: Designing Nature into the Daily Spaces of Childhood,” and “Children and the Success of Biophilic Design.”
 Childhood and Nature: Design Principles for Educators, by David Sobel.
In Childhood and Nature, Sobel argues that meaningful connections with the natural world begin in our own backyards and communities. Based on his observations of play themes around the world, he details seven design principles that can guide teachers in structuring learning experiences for children. Also: See Sobel’s other important books, including those on ecophobia and place-based education.
 I Love Dirt! 52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature, by Jennifer Ward.
Organized by season, and appropriate for urban, suburban and rural settings, I Love Dirt! presents a year’s worth of activities to help further children’s understanding of the natural world by promoting exploration, stimulating the imagination, and creating a sense of wonder.
 Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv.
This expanded and updated edition includes new research, a progress report on the Leave No Child Inside movement, an added Field Guide with 100 actions for families and communities, and 35 discussion points for book groups, classrooms, families and communities.
 A Natural Sense of Wonder: Connecting Kids with Nature Through the Seasons, by Rick Van Noy.
Van Noy, an English professor and father, chronicles his efforts to turn his children’s attention from their television and computer screens to the outdoors. In a series of essays organized mostly by season, he describes a host of outdoor adventures including swimming, hiking, gardening, and fishing with his family.
Other Reading
 Children and Nature: Psychological, Sociocultural and Evolutionary Investigations (2002), by Stephen R. Kellert and Peter Kahn.
Incorporating research from psychology, ecology, environmental studies, and other disciplines, Children and Nature examines topics such as the evolutionary significance of nature during childhood, how contact with nature affects children’s physical and mental development, and the educational and political consequences of the weakened childhood experience of nature in modern society.
 Coming Home: Community, Creativity and Consciousness (2004), by Cheryl Charles and Bob Samples.
This book, co-authored by the president and CEO of the Children & Nature Network, focuses on how to create environments where more individuals can feel cherished, productive, and fulfilled. Strategies are suggested for tapping into one’s creative potential and putting that talent to work, resulting in greater health and balance in family, business, school, social, and civic settings.
 Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment and the Human Prospect (2004) by David W. Orr
David W. Orr is chair of the environmental studies program at Oberlin College in Ohio and credited with the simple, but profound statement, "When we heal the Earth, we heal ourselves." This ten-year anniversary edition of Earth in Mind is as prophetic, provocative, wise and inspirational as when it was first written.
 The Geography of Childhood: Why Children Need Wild Places (1994), by Gary Paul Nabhan and Stephen Trimble.
Though published more than a decade ago, The Geography of Childhood remains as relevant as ever. Written by two fathers and naturalists, it makes vivid through essays and anecdotes the importance of a direct experience of nature in childhood development.
 The Great Work: Our Way into the Future (2000), by Thomas Berry.
This is one of Berry’s extraordinary contributions to the human journey forward to a new relationship with the natural world.
 In the First Country of Places: Nature, Poetry, and Childhood Memory (1994), by Louise Chawla.
This book by one of the foremost researchers on children and nature explores the relationship between creativity, memory and special childhood places in nature.
 Infants, Toddlers, and Families: A Framework for Support and Intervention (2002), by Martha Farrell Erickson, Karen Marie Kurz-Riemer, Karen Kurz-Riemer.
An important contribution describing how caregivers and the environment help shape the futures of young children.
 Look to the Mountain: An Ecology of Indigenous Education (1994), by Gregory Cajete.
An accomplished author, educator and artist, this is the earliest of Cajete’s books. Although written especially for a Native American audience, the wisdom of Cajete’s approaches is applicable to the development of learning environments for all youth and the communities within which they live.
 Natural Learning: Creating Environments for Rediscovering Nature’s Way of Teaching (1997), by Robin C. Moore and Herb H. Wong.
This is the classic sourcebook for how to transform an asphalt playground into a rich, relevant and natural place for learning. This ten-year life history of Washington Elementary School’s environmental schoolyard in Berkeley is a must-read story today. The concepts here can be applied to backyards, city parks, schoolyards and more.
 Peripheral Visions: Learning Along the Way (1994), by Mary Catherine Bateson.
All of Bateson’s books are artful and inspiring. This is one that is especially helpful for creating a sense of home and community in a complex and changing world.
 Sharing Nature with Children (1998), by Joseph Cornell.
Another classic, Sharing Nature with Children has been translated into more than a dozen languages and sold nearly half a million copies. The revised 20th anniversary edition features even more ideas for giving children memorable experiences in nature.
 The Thunder Tree: Lessons from an Urban Wildland (1998), by Robert Michael Pyle .
Personal and prophetic, this is Bob Pyle’s classic describing how nature shapes us all, and the threat of what he calls “the extinction of experience.”
Reports
 Kids Dig Dirt! Green Paper by the Association of Children’s Museums.
Children’s museums can play a critical role in shaping the healthy future of childhood by reemphasizing the importance of active play, engagement with nature, and the development of rich outdoor environments. This report provides facts and guidelines for museums to draw on while developing outdoor spaces, proposals for funding, or other materials.
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 Connecting Today’s Kids with Nature: A Policy Action Plan, by the National Wildlife Federation.
This guide outlines policy solutions for parents and policymakers, including connecting kids to nature through environmental education, advocating for better community design for natural play areas, and encouraging parents and kids to engage in a daily Green Hour.
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 Fish & Wildlife News: Children and Nature, by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
This special edition of Fish & Wildlife News provides a glimpse of what FWS employees from coast to
coast are doing to reconnect children with nature.
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 C&NN Publications:
As part of ongoing efforts to build the movement, the Children & Nature Network has published two key resources for leaders,organizers, and participants at the local, national, and international levels:
Children and Nature 2008: A Report on the Movement to Reconnect Children to the Natural World
C&NN Community Action Guide: Building the Children & Nature Movement from the Ground Up
To subscribe to C&NN news and updates join the network.
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