Children need nature for optimal health and development. That’s the message behind Richard Louv’s book entitled, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2005). Louv maintains that children’s healthy physical, psychological and spiritual development relies upon frequent and regular contact with nature. The research also seems to support these assertions.
North American Children Separated from Nature
The problem is, many children know little about nature from first-hand experience. As ironic as it may seem, many North American children may grow up knowing more about the Amazonian rain forest than they know about the trees in their own backyard.
Though many North American adults may have fond memories of experiences in natural settings, the way children play and where they play has changed in recent decades. Children are no longer free to roam their neighborhoods and vacant lots as they once did. Fear of dangers keeps most kids confined.
In addition, North Americans have become increasingly urbanized over the years. Fewer people live in the countryside now than they did a few decades ago. As a result, children now have less access to natural settings than their parents did when they were children. Relatively few children are growing up on farms or even have relatives living on farms where they can visit and spend time outdoors close to nature. Moreover, urban natural spaces like parks are not keeping pace with population growth in large centers.
Add to all of this society's love-affair with electronics and it’s easy to see why Louv asserts that childhood has moved indoors.
Symptoms of Nature-Deficit Disorder
Unfortunately, raising indoor kids can be hurting them. They’re missing many of the benefits of spending time in nature that their parents and grandparents enjoyed. In Louv’s own words, “Nature-deficit disorder describes the human costs of alienation from nature, among them: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses.” (Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder)
Childhood obesity rates continue to rise in spite of programming implemented locally and nationally. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is a growing concern. Bullying and aggression are problems that haven’t disappeared, despite all the attention and planning that have gone into trying to put a stop to them. Some of the problems children experience these days, including those listed above, might actually benefit from a dose of nature therapy.
