Finding Nature News

My 7th graders were riding the bus home to Leadville, Colorado, the highest incorporated city in the United States. Over the last three days, they had learned...

In 2012, Richard Louv, author and co-founder of Children & Nature Network wrote about a landmark warning from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): The toxic stress...

In our modern, tech-saturated world, the challenge of "indoor childhood" can feel overwhelming. Children and teens are spending more time on devices and less time engaging with...

At the Children & Nature Network, we know that nature connection can support many dimensions of children’s health and development, including mental health and well-being. That matters...

Rising temperatures, pediatric mental health crises and declining physical activity: Today’s community leaders face a daunting, interconnected web of challenges. But what if one out-of-the-box approach could...

In his most personal book yet, author and Children & Nature Network co-founder Richard Louv explores the power of noticing. “Noticing: Intimate...

Fostering a child’s connection to nature opens the door to wonder and awe — magical experiences that are all too rare in childhood today. In her new...

Boulder, Colorado, is an iconic mountain town and outdoor industry hub. Not surprisingly, it’s also a hub for connecting children to nature.  Since joining the

Hydrologist, environmental educator, poet and community connector Carol Peralta has spent more than a decade designing and leading nature-based programs in one of the most densely populated...

Things often grow slowly in the desert. Take the saguaro cactus. At Saguaro National Park outside Tucson, Arizona, it takes 75-100 years for these giants to sprout...

Few institutions sit at the heart of a neighborhood quite like places of worship. They nourish our spiritual lives, run food pantries and clothing drives and quietly...

On Eid mornings, I'd walk up and down the stairs of our 6-story housing complex in Bhawani Peth, Pune, India, proudly balancing bowls of sheer khurma on...

“Everything is less complicated when you’re in the woods,” reflects Mason Branstrator. “I think that’s what I’ve always liked about it. There’s a sense of peace.”

Access to nature in the early years isn’t optional. It’s foundational. Read more about the why — and the how — in this article.

As disconnection from the natural world grows, how can we help our children foster a healthier and more intimate relationship to nature? Since time immemorial, Indigenous...

As the planet continues to warm and natural disasters like wildfires and flooding become more frequent, 59% of youth and young adults

To an adult, tree rounds scattered around a schoolyard may seem a little boring. But through the eyes of a child, stumps can be magical. “The...

When it comes to green schoolyards, kids know just what to do — play! So where does “activation” come in? Before the kids even get there!...

“Oh well, a little dirt is good for the stomach.”  When I was a child growing up in Sweden, this was the adults’ go-to phrase whenever...

“Bees are a unique teaching tool,” says Tami Enright, Co-founder and Executive Director of nonprofit The Bee Cause Project. “They’re cute, they’re fuzzy… kids start caring for...

From the baking flats of Death Valley to the frigid fjords of Glacier Bay, the U.S. National Park System is made up of some of the most...

Around the world, many children enjoy spending their summers outdoors and in nature, creating memories that last a lifetime. Depending on access and environment, this could include...

Kids have always known how to play, and for most of history, they didn’t need playgrounds to do it. Today, we have prescribed them to parks that...

Recently, a childhood friend reached out. She’d been thinking about long friendships and missing me. “I have the most vivid memories of sitting up in your neighbor’s...

In 1994, I made what some thought was a radical decision: I left my busy life in Atlanta, Georgia, and moved my family to our weekend farm...

It can feel as though crises are everywhere we look: climate instability, youth mental health challenges, academic disparities and inequitable infrastructure. Moments like these demand attention to...

Inhale deeply. Now exhale. Close your eyes and inhale again. Exhale. That's better. Could you use a screen break right about now? Leave your phone behind and...

I come from a long line of walkers. My family walks to think, to discuss hard or happy matters, to make decisions, to celebrate nature and, of...

A few years ago, when my daughters were nine and twelve, I took them on a ten-hour drive to northern Sweden. We were on a mission to...

On the first of February, I woke up at 4:45 a.m. and drove 30 miles south. I was headed to a bird meetup at the

The air around my son crackles with electricity. He experiences the world with zest, throwing himself into life with such gusto that you are enticed to see...

"We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." This provocative perspective invites us to consider not only our responsibility to...

From inclusive design to equitable opportunities, inclusive play spaces empower every child to explore and connect through play It’s exciting to finally see play be given...

In a few weeks, I’ll be retiring from my position as curator of the Children & Nature Network’s Research Library. Though the team was much smaller when...

In Hungary, the real winter has finally arrived: the temperatures are in the negative, the landscape shines in white, the children can finally shape the snowballs they've...

In Vietnamese cultural practice, when a baby is born, we nest with them for a full lunar cycle. This practice is shared with traditions around the world,...

For children with disabilities, accessibility to parks, play areas and nature is often viewed through the lens of physical access. While designing universally accessible...

My childhood was in the woods. Having Angela Hanscom, the founder of TimberNook, as my mother meant that I was...

In today’s rapidly digitizing world, our youths’ lives are increasingly dominated by screens. As of the time of writing this article, we are observing a concerning upward...

As we approach another Earth Day, it's a great time to teach kids about the importance of caring for our planet – and to get them actively...

The Children & Nature Network’s work over the past 20 years has created more access to nature for children in more than 100 communities. We’ve also built the evidence base for nature connection and a network of cross-sector leaders to advance it. We are uniquely prepared to deliver the benefits of nature to children at scale. In early 2026, we launched a new 10-year strategic framework to do just that. Over the next decade, we will create a nature-filled childhood for 20 million youth in the U.S. This document highlights the progress we’re making, made possible by the generous support of partners and friends like you.

Public policy and funding decisions at all levels of government directly impact children’s ability to engage with and learn from nature. Policies and advocacy efforts around the...

Mental health isn't just about clinical care — it’s about the environments where children live, learn and play. Evidence shows that nature connection can enhance children’s mental...

Waukegan, Illinois, has no shortage of natural assets. Its network of ravines winds through vibrant neighborhoods, and its breathtaking shoreline meets Lake Michigan. But access to these...

Each year, the Children & Nature Network awards the Richard Louv Prize for Innovation in Nature Connection. Through our nomination...

Communities trying to increase equitable access to nature face many barriers. Still, some cities and organizations have found ways to connect children...

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is one of several U.S. cities that’s joined the growing nature prescription movement. Nature prescriptions are formal recommendations from healthcare professionals that encourage patients to...

Cincinnati, Ohio, is best known for the Reds and Skyline Chili. But in the children and nature movement, the city is also synonymous with green schoolyards.

Over the past decade, the Nature Everywhere Communities initiative has partnered with communities across the country to expand children’s access...

Why is access to nature important for children and infants under the age of 5? Read on to learn more about this growing movement in Kentucky.

Hosting the Nature Everywhere conference was a pivotal moment that not only put us on the national map but also strengthened our local presence. It reinforced that...

In Providence, Rhode Island, access to nature has become a defining feature of the city’s landscape and identity. Over the past decade, a partnership between the Providence...

Today’s children and the natural world are facing unprecedented challenges. Throughout 2025, we offered hope and measurable impact through a powerful, proven solution found all around us: nature. Check out this infographic to learn more about our impact in 2025.

Today’s children and the natural world are facing unprecedented challenges. Throughout 2025, we offered hope and measurable impact through a powerful, proven solution found all around us: nature. Learn more about our impact in 2025.

“Climate change has seeped into everything that we do,” says Brigid Deegan, Senior Climate Specialist at the National League of Cities. “It impacts the air we breathe...

It was the first five minutes of the Nature as Healer Roundtable. I had my computer, coffee and breakfast tacos ready to go on the desk in...

In Jacksonville, Florida, leaders are taking bold action to reverse the trend towards an “indoor childhood.” This “indoor childhood” has been linked to a growing physical and...

It’s no secret that our children’s lives are increasingly online. Between the rise of social media and the prevalence of screens in households and schools, children spend...

Since 2018, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has been transforming its schoolyards from vast expanses of asphalt into vibrant, nature-rich environments that enhance student well-being and manage stormwater. Anchored in...

Dr. Hanaa Hamdi looked out at a sea of over 600 faces. The buzz from early-morning greetings and fresh cups of coffee had faded to a charged...

If you spent your childhood climbing trees and catching frogs, chances are your kids get outside more, too. That’s the takeaway from a survey of 1,000 Tokyo-area families: Parents’ early outdoor adventures seemed to deepen their connection to nature, and that connection was linked to kids spending time outside. So what if you, dear parent, didn’t grow up outdoors? Start a new tradition, and let your kids be the first generation in your family to fall in love with nature. Scientific Reports.

We know time outdoors can sharpen kids’ focus and even improve reading and math scores. But does any patch of green do the trick? WashU researchers dug into data on roughly 12,000 American children to find out. A strip of grass won’t cut it, and exercise didn’t explain the boost. Kids living near tree canopy and parks scored better on attention and achievement tests, and cleaner air seemed to play a role. “People need something to be occupying them a little bit — but not too much,” says the study’s lead author Carina Fowler. “Nature can provide that really well.” The Source.

Is your kid a mud-and-beetles explorer or more of a tidy-garden type? Duke researcher Vanessa Woods noticed that split between her two children, and it sparked a study of 295 kids ages 3 to 13 in North Carolina and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The surprise: Fear and fascination aren’t opposites. Kids who were scared of spiders were just as likely as their fearless peers to welcome butterflies and beetles into their yards. Her advice for parents: “Don’t give up on your kid because they are terrified of one forest creature.” There’s still room for wonder. Duke University.

What’s your earliest memory of a tree? In India, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Ashwini Tadpatrikar’s university ecopsychology team asked people that very question. For many, trees were childhood companions, places to play and quiet sources of comfort. “Nature was not an activity to be scheduled. It was part of growing up,” she writes. She encourages a fresh take on digital detox: Put the phone away, take a child for a walk among the trees, touch the bark, and notice the breeze, the birdsong and the light through the leaves. Deccan Herald.

For Native youth in programs backed by New Mexico’s Outdoor Equity Fund, time outside is about more than visiting a beautiful place. These experiences “can mean connecting with landscapes they know through stories, songs and prayers and learning about places where their ancestors lived and cared for the land,” says Chas Robles of Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps. Since 2019, the fund has awarded about $12.8 million statewide, including to 241 tribal and rural groups. Now applications are up 141% and nearly half go unfunded, so supporters are urging lawmakers to double the fund to $10 million a year. New Mexico In Depth.

Risky play lets kids have thrilling adventures within boundaries — think climbing a tree, paddling a stream or biking fast downhill. In a review of 74 studies, scientists at University of Exeter and University of British Columbia found that kids with more chances for risky play tend to have stronger physical and mental health, social skills and cognitive development. “If we focus only on keeping children safe and remove the opportunity for them to explore risks in their play, we are doing them a disservice,” says Professor Helen Dodd, director of Exeter’s Outdoor Play Research Centre. University of Exeter.

Yes, please! A new study pooled 30 systematic reviews and found nature-based activities, from gardening to viewing greenery, eased anxiety and depression, lowered heart rate and boosted relaxation. The effects resemble those of cognitive behavioural therapy, though it’s not a head-to-head test. These results are promising: Low-cost, accessible, nature could help those who haven’t responded to medication, families wary of side effects in kids and anyone facing long waits or high costs. Psychology Today.

Ask Violet Clinton that question, and she’ll give it to you straight: “They’re important pollinators that people haven’t thought about already.” For seven months, the 16-year-old has been tracking moths in a New York preserve for a school research project. Entomologists call her project “impossibly ambitious,” and her field research won second place against college and graduate students in a Lepidopterists’ Society competition. Read on to learn how it all began at age 7 (spoiler: sidewalk caterpillars!) and her recipe for moth bait (it includes beer that her dad buys for her) The New York Times.

We wrote about One Million Kids Outdoors at its June launch. The Children & Nature Network is one of many partners on the initiative, and we’re really proud to say — huzzah, the initiative has reached 250,000 kids! That’s one-fourth of its summer 2027 goal. “Getting outside can help kids build healthier bodies and feel more confident, and a single outing can be the start of a lifelong love for the outdoors,” says Julia Hurwit of the Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK). “We’ll keep working to ensure every child has that chance.” Hear, hear! Sierra Club.

As Philadelphia’s nearly 200-year-old Academy of Natural Sciences closes, retired research chemist Randi Pokladnik, Ph.D., mourns what’s been lost. In this impassioned essay, she argues that the problem starts in the classroom: Since the 1990s, a biology degree hasn’t required a natural history course, and public school teachers need no formal training in natural sciences. Kids have few guides to the living world — and they spend 5 to 8 hours a day on screens and less than 1 hour daily outdoors. She calls for bringing natural history back, citing the words of author and Children & Nature Network co-founder Richard Louv: “We cannot protect something we do not love, we cannot love what we do not know, and we cannot know what we do not see.” The Marietta Times.

“Nature is such an extraordinary environment for us all and, in this tech-driven, digital age, spending quality time outdoors has never been more important,” says Catherine, the Princess of Wales, who has launched a project using nature to support young children’s social and emotional development. Part of her early years campaign, it will explore how nature, creativity and relationships help babies and young children thrive. The princess, who called nature her “sanctuary” during her recovery from cancer, hopes the research will make nature more accessible to families across the U.K. BBC.

“My mom doesn’t let me climb because I bumped my nose once.” In a recent study, researchers from Nottingham Trent University found that when 3- to 5-year-olds steer clear of mud and climbing equipment, it’s often because of messages they hear from adults, like, “Be careful,” or “Watch out.” The researchers helped a preschool rearrange equipment, add aprons for messy play and swap warnings for trust: “What’s your plan for climbing that?” and “I’m here if you need me.” Within weeks of the changes, kids were more confident and more likely to engage in risky, multi-sensory nature play. Phys.org.

California’s heat is stretching into the school year. During the October 5 heat wave, nearly half of the state’s public schools were in areas with a high or severe heat risk — almost twice that of the heat wave in August. An analysis found that almost half of California’s K-12 students attend schools with very little tree canopy. Enter green schoolyards. Through a CalFire grant program, 215 California schools are getting makeovers, like Sacramento’s Parkway Elementary, where 58 trees, 44 shrubs and climbing logs now stand in place of blacktop. Providing shade means kids get to spend more time outside, with more opportunity for play and a boost in student well-being and learning. One study found that bullying and antisocial interactions dropped 40% to 50% after schoolyard greening. EdSource.

Boston University student Rachel Selby would like more young adults to connect with nature — for their mental health. “A lot of young adults feel very disconnected from their natural environment,” she says. And yet, she explains, “there’s a lot of evidence that nature can be a very powerful tool for relaxation and restoration.” Through a fellowship, Selby built an eight-week, peer-led curriculum that pairs mindfulness walks, species-identification outings and nature-based art therapy. She also met Massachusetts State Senator Liz Miranda to discuss a bill that would recognize nature-based mental health interventions. BU Innovate.

The harvest mouse is Britain’s smallest native rodent, using their prehensile tails to scramble up grass stems. But habitat loss has made these super cute mice a “near threatened” species. Rather than watch them disappear, teens Eva Wishart and Emily Smith bred 250 mice in their garages and released them on a Devon nature reserve. Now, the 14-year-olds are recruiting kids to help raise 250 more. Eva likes sharing her passion for ecology with peers, saying that after doing a mouse show-and-tell at school, “It was the most popular I’ve ever been.” The Guardian.

As the sun sinks over a community garden in Providence, Rhode Island, visitors in headlamps count moths, spotting a whopping 58 species by night’s end. This awe-filled event is led by Melissa Guillet, founder of 15 Minute Field Trips. As an elementary art teacher, she learned that even just spending 15 minutes outside could spark a child’s curiosity and love for nature. Now her programs have kids playing nature detective, studying how animals survive in the wild, growing plants in mini greenhouses — and learning to notice the greenspaces and critters they encounter in their daily lives. She’s found acquaintance eases fear: Kids once terrified of bees are soon catching bumblebees in cups. ecoRI News.

Hanae Bettencourt of Birds Connect Seattle says kids can start birding just by looking out the window. Once they notice that one bird looks different from the next, she says, birding becomes a bit like collecting Pokémon. Case in point: Emma Perez was a reluctant hiker ‘til she took up photographing birds at age 8. Now a high school freshman and part of Birds Connect’s Young Birders program, Emma has a soft spot for migratory birds. “They’re sitting on your feeder for five minutes just relaxing in the rain, and you can tell that this is an amazing feast for them,” she says. Seattle’s Child.

When was the last time you saw kids playing in your neighborhood by themselves? Traffic fears, screen time and a loss of trust between neighbors are among the modern forces pushing kids indoors — even when they’d rather be outside with friends. In this piece, New Zealand experts argue that independent play builds confidence, resilience and the real-world skills that kids need and crave. If sending the kids outside makes you nervous, you’re not alone! Parent coach Kristin Ward says the secret is to start small: “Start with outings that are just a little stretch. Could they go with an older sibling to a local park for just 10 minutes?” RNZ.

In the past 200 years, human connection to nature has declined by 60% while urbanization has climbed 47% — and by 2050, most of us will be living in cities. In a recent op-ed, writer and college student Damaris Gonzalez argues that shrinking access to greenspace could impact our ability to build empathy — for nature and each other. While kids who don’t get enough quality time outside can become fearful of nature, those who do can develop a sense of responsibility for the planet and an “emotional resonance” with the world beyond their community. “We have a great capacity to connect and experience wonder,” says one expert. “[That] won’t develop unless we’re given opportunities to experience it.” Daily Titan.

Juma Xipaia, Brazil’s first secretary of Indigenous Rights, has spent years defending Xipaya territory against mining and land-grabbing. Now she’s the protagonist and a producer of “YANUNI,” a documentary following her from the Brazilian Amazon to the political frontlines. In this compelling interview, Xipaia talks about the importance of shaping her own story, which she hopes will be a tool to galvanize the broader Indigenous rights movement — helping people understand why her community risks their lives to defend the Amazon. The film is named for her daughter, and Xipaia opens up about how motherhood sharpened the stakes of that fight. “I don’t want my sons and daughters to have to go through violent situations and to be silenced just as I was,” she says. “I want them to have a forest. I want them to be respected, to live happily, and to be able to enjoy territory with clean water and clean air.” Atmos.

In his most personal book yet, author and Children & Nature Network co-founder Richard Louv explores the power of noticing. “Noticing: Intimate...

Editor’s note: This guest column by author and Children & Nature Network co-founder Richard Louv is excerpted and adapted from his book,

Please join the movement to give all kids a nature-filled future.

Eighteen months ago, school districts were mostly at a loss when it came to dealing with a global pandemic. Today, educators and communities should have everything they...

Join me in the movement to connect children and nature

In this article written for Sierra Magazine, Louv calls for recognition of nature as a basic human right of all people—and for recognition of the inherent rights of nature.

The following article was published in the September 2020 issue of Green Schoolyards Catalyst Quarterly, a publication of the...

Some moments with and in nature can be transformative, writes Richard Louv.

If the coronavirus spreads at the rate that experts believe it will, schools, workplaces and businesses will...

In coining the phrase and defining nature-deficit disorder, Richard Louv calls us to consider not just what is lost, but what is gained through experiences in natural places.

Richard Louv writes about digital technology in education and asks how far do we really want to go in that direction? Here, he reviews evidence supporting nature-based, place-based education or experiential learning.

Libraries are a perfect, if unexpected, institution to connect people to nature, writes Richard Louv.

[caption id="attachment_44495" align="alignleft" width="199"] Photo courtesy of The Forum for Youth Investment.[/caption] Karen J. Pittman is president and CEO of the

With summer just around the corner, this is the time that many families start to think about summer camps. Young people—the ones lucky enough to have...

Richard Louv suggests that we think about our daily routines to look for opportunities to #OptOutside — not just for a day, but all year and for years to come.

  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="733"] Matthew and Mister Rogers, sent to him by Mister Rogers.[/caption] It’s 1993. Fred Rogers enters a noisy hotel lobby,...

Dear Virginia, Time has slipped by, and I’ve been meaning to write to you. I met you about a year and a half ago at a conference of environmental...

My son Matthew and I were wading up a stream of Alaska's Kodiak Island. For a second year, Joe, our guide, was teaching us how to sense the presence...

On the way out of town, I got the shakes. Well, not the shakes exactly, but I wasn’t a happy pre-camper. My wife, Kathy, and I had committed to...