Richard Louv, author of “Last Child in the Woods,” on ending nature-deficit disorder

Our children are nature deprived. The reasons for this are many: fear of stranger danger, fear of what lurks in the wilderness, too little time, too little access.

I recently read “Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder,” a national bestseller by author Richard Louv, and immediately mounted my own campaign to get my kids outdoors. It’s amazing how much nature you can find just minutes from your home.

I asked Louv, a former colleague of mine at The San Diego Union-Tribune, to answer a few questions about nature-deficit disorder and suggest ways for parents to combat it one child at a time. He graciously agreed.

1. How do you see nature-deficit disorder manifest itself in children?

That could be a long list, though you would want to include health, learning, and personal self-esteem. Children who experience nature play are healthier, test better in school and probably are a lot happier than their peers, who come home from school and watch a screen, rather than experience what’s out the door.

Research suggests over-organized childhood and the devaluing of unstructured play, including nature play, have huge implications for children’s ability to self-regulate.

2. How do children benefit from time in nature?

Recent research that focuses on young people suggests that exposure to nature can improve all children’s cognitive abilities and resistance to negative stresses and depression. Environmental psychologists reported in 2003 that simply a room with a view of nature can help protect children against stress, and that the protective impact of nearby nature is strongest for the most vulnerable children — those experiencing the highest levels of stressful life events.

More than 100 studies reveal that one of the main benefits of spending time in nature is stress reduction. Other studies indicate that nature can be powerful therapy for such maladies as obesity and depression, and that time in nature greatly aids a child’s ability to learn – at home or at school.

The Children & Nature Network, a non-profit organization, has posted a large number of excellent research reports online and there’s no cost to access them. For those interested, here’s the link to three volumes of research abstracts (with links to the original research) on our Children & Nature Network Web site. And here’s a link that tells more about “Last Child in the Woods.”

3. Do you believe there is a link between nature deficit and ADHD? Why do you feel this way?

Excellent research correlates nature experience with reduced symptoms of ADHD. For example, fascinating recent studies by the Human-Environment Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois show that direct exposure to nature can help relieve the symptoms of attention-deficit disorders. By comparison, activities indoors, such as watching TV, or activities outdoors in paved, non-green areas, leave these children functioning worse.

Research also indicates student achievement levels rise in core academic areas, including reading, math and science, when learning takes place in more natural settings. Studies also show there is a reduction in discipline problems when students are able to spend time outside, including recess, and a renewed zest for learning when nature is part of the school experience.

“Natural spaces and materials stimulate children’s limitless imaginations and serve as the medium of inventiveness and creativity,” says Robin Moore, an international authority on natural school design, who heads the Natural Learning Initiative in North Carolina.

When parents hear about these studies, they want nature for their kids, either as an addition to traditional therapies or in some cases a replacement. I hear from parents and teachers all over the country how important this can be to their children and students, and in many cases the remarkable improvement that does occur. One recent study out of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign looks at the impact nature has on a child’s ability to concentrate.

4. As a suburban dad, what did you do with your sons when they were young to make sure they spent time in nature? What ideas would you offer to parents today?

I took them fishing every chance I had, and sometimes hiking, or camping in our old van, and we lived on a canyon when the boys were smaller, and we encouraged them to build forts and explore behind our house.

And when I had interviews to conduct that involved the outdoors I often tried to think of ways to bring one of my sons along. Ultimately, a change in behavior begins with the individual — who then talks to a neighbor about the nature deficit problem and decides to do something about it.

It’s never too early – or too late — to teach children to appreciate the outdoors.  An easy way to reconnect with nature is to go birding — urban or suburban, rural or wilderness. Check to see if there is an Audubon Society chapter nearby, or a park naturalist who leads walks. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a good source for other information. I say this because Audubon Society-affiliated field trips are inexpensive – usually participants share gasoline costs – and this is a good way to meet people who know a great deal about the local terrain. Amateur birders are welcome.

For young families, the Children & Nature Network’s sister Web site, Nature Rocks offers a host of activities and resources, including a nature staycation planning guide.

I’ve included a Field Guide of 100 Actions Parents and Communities Can Take in a new special section at the end of the 2008 edition of “Last Child in the Woods.” A few of these actions, in abbreviated form, can be found in the resources section of richardlouv.com.  

5. How can parents reconcile their need to protect their children from stranger danger and their desire to have their children spend time exploring nature?
 
Well, parents need to be practical. Here’s one piece of advice from family psychologist John Rosemond: Teach your child to watch for behaviors, not necessarily for strangers.

According to Rosemond, “Telling a child to stay away from strangers is relatively ineffective. ‘Stranger’ is not a concept young children understand easily. Instead, children ought to be taught to be on the lookout for specific threatening behaviors and situations.” This view is supported by the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Here are some other suggestions: Get to know your neighbors. Invest yourself in the life of the block and the surrounding community. Create a play-watch group and ask fellow parents to sit on front stoops or porches or lawns several hours a week; that way, they are available at a distance as children play.

It’s important to point out that I’m not saying there is no risk out there. Risk is a reality, but multiple-family outings can help reduce that risk and raise the comfort level. Responsible family nature clubs, along with nature centers and other organized programs, can help parents and kids reduce their anxiety about venturing into the outdoors.

I’m delighted that the idea of Nature Clubs for Families is beginning to catch on across the country. They do fun things and everyone has a good time – parents and children. For more on Nature Clubs for Families, including a free downloadable guide that will tell you everything you’ll need to know to start your own, take a look at childrenandnature.org.

6. With school budgets under severe stress, do you have any simple suggestions for schools and parent volunteer groups to help children connect with nature?

No question, the budget situation in California is grim, as it is in other states. But building schools designed like prisons, banishing live animals from classrooms, and dropping recess and field trips is not the answer. That course of action does not make economic, moral or scientific sense. 

Parents and teachers can become advocates for nature-related classes in their school. Lobby one-on-one, go to PTA meetings, make your voice heard. One way to do this is to let the policy-makers know that research indicates student achievement levels rise in core academic areas, including reading, math and science, when learning takes place in more natural settings.

Studies also indicate a reduction in discipline problems when students are able to spend time outside, including recess, and a renewed zest for learning when nature is part of the school experience. This can be a low-cost schoolyard gardening experience, for example.

At the political level, I’m encouraged by the No Child Left Inside Act of 2009, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, which would, in part, create a sizeable environmental education grant program to the states for teacher development, and provide funding to help ensure that primary and secondary school students are environmentally literate.

Importantly, the legislation’s focus is not only on classroom education, but also (less specifically) on actually getting students outside and into nature. Another exciting development is the increasing popularity of nature preschools, where children learn about wildlife even as they learn to read.

The best news is at the grassroots. The nonprofit Children & Nature Network, for which I now serve as chairman, has tracked and encouraged more than 50 regional campaigns that are helping reintroduce children to nature. These campaigns, often focused on children’s health, will add power to what might be called natural school reform.

One more suggestion: I believe young people will become the leaders of the children and nature movement. Please take a look at C&NN’s Network Natural Leaders network Through it, young people can help other young people get outside into nature, learn and perhaps build a career at the same time. 

Ultimately, we need the kind of cultural change that engages families in every kind of neighborhood — urban, suburban and rural – and nature-inclusive curriculum then becomes a thread in the societal fabric – a part of daily life.

He is the recipient of the 2008 Audubon Medal. A former columnist for The San Diego Union-Tribune and Parents magazine, Louv has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Times of London and other newspapers and magazines, and keeps a full speaking schedule. For more information, visit lastchildinthewoods.com.