Are Our Children Missing Out on Nature?

By Lois B. Robbins

In his book, Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv asks, “Are our children suffering from Nature Deficit Disorder?” Citing studies that show kids spend an average of 44 hours a week plugged into computers and cell phones, Louv sounds the alarm, telling us that a whole generation is becoming ever more alienated from nature. He recalls this most poignantly with his story of a very young girl who prefers being indoors because “that’s where the outlets are.” This alienation is already having profound affects, Louv warns, not only on the world of nature with which our own lives are so intricately intertwined, but on our children’s psychological and intellectual well-being.

“Nature Deficit Disorder”, as Louv so eloquently puts it, is responsible for a host of problems never before seen in children, such as reduced attention span, impaired cognitive development, and obesity. “Wiggly kids need nature,” Louv insists, with stories of children who calmed down and were better able to focus after spending some time with the natural rhythms and quiet music of nature. Citing a study of Chicago Housing Project kids, Louv shows that attendance, grades and behavior all improve when kids have access to outdoor classrooms.

Edith Cobb has observed, that Childhood is the "point of intersection between biology and cosmology, where the structuring of our worldviews and our philosophies of human purpose takes place." Children need to experience the wonder of what is close at hand. While children do learn “about” nature in the classroom, most kids know more about the rain forest than they do about what’s in their own back yard. Adolescents can identify over a thousand product logos; yet they cannot name any of the native plants that grow in their own neighborhoods.

Other factors besides kids’ fascination with TV and video games militate against closeness to nature. With unplanned housing developments eating up so much open space, there are fewer and fewer natural places where children can go. Parents often fear of abduction when children are unsupervised in nature. The data do not support this fear. Fortunately, in North Oakland County we still have an abundance of safe natural areas where our children can connect with nature, but these will soon be gone if land is not set aside. Supporting conservation is critical to the preservation of these special places.

Many local organizations and institutions provide supervised forays into the "wilderness". NOHLC offers guided nature walks on our preserved land and restoration work-days for a deeper involvement with the natural world. Our watershed councils offer many programs that connect children with nature. State and County parks offer additional opportunities. Parents can lead by example by suggesting family trips and outdoor activities. Readers can encourage their school districts to not just teach "about" nature, but also actually engage students in outdoor science projects and adventures.

*Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, (A Div. Of Workman Press, New York, NY, 2005)