Resource News
Research & Studies | Media & Culture
New York Times – January 20, 2010
New Study Finds Kids Plugged-In 7.5 Hours a Day
By Tamar Lewin
The average young American now spends practically every waking minute—except for the time in school—using a smart phone, computer, television, or other electronic device, according to a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The study also found a link between heavy media use and several negatives, including behavior problems and lower grades.
[+]
Commentary | National | Media & Culture
Vancouver Sun – September 22, 2009
Ken Burns National Parks Documentary Series Premieres on PBS
By Alex Strachan
The National Park’s: America’s Best Idea, a six-night documentary series by acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns, airs on PBS starting September 27. Burns hopes the series will encourage more city dwellers and rural residents alike to visit their national parks and to revisit that part of them that resides in nature.
[+]
National | Access
Washington Post – August 18, 2009
Washington Post: The Good Side of “Glamping”
By Lori Aratani
As the Washington Post reports, retailers and park officials across the country are scrambling to make camping easier and more comfortable for those unaccustomed to roughing it. But rather than criticizing such efforts, the Children & Nature Network’s Cheryl Charles says they should be encouraged. “I would not be critical of ‘glamping,’ ” she tells the paper. “There’s not one right way to reconnect with nature.”
[+]
National | Health
ScienceDaily – August 29, 2009
Study: Active Preschoolers Healthier Later in Life
Being active at age five helps kids stay lean as they age even if they don't remain as active later in childhood, a new University of Iowa study shows. The implication, according to the study’s lead author, is that “even five-year-olds should be encouraged to be as active as possible because it pays off as they grow older.” [+]
National | Education | Health
Children, Youth and Environments Center for Research and Design – July 28, 2009
Fact Sheet Summarizes Benefits of Gardening for Children
Third- to fifth-grade students who participated in a one-year gardening program showed a significant increase in self-understanding and the ability to work in groups compared to nonparticipating students. That’s one of the many findings summarized in a new fact sheet on the benefits of gardening for children published by the Children, Youth and Environments Center for Research and Design at the University of Colorado at Denver. [+]
International | Media & Culture
Times of London – July 14, 2009
Louv Introduces British Readers to Children and Nature Movement
By Richard Louv
In a lengthy article for the Times of London, Richard Louv introduces readers of the paper, as well as those of its affiliates across the globe, to the children and nature movement and summarizes some of the recent efforts within the UK and elsewhere to raise awareness of nature-deficit disorder. These include the just-released survey of 3,000 British parents by the National Trust, last year’s Report to Natural England on Childhood and Nature, and a BBC Wildlife Magazine survey that found many children in the UK cannot identify common species like bluebells and frogs. Louv’s article coincides with the British publication of his Last Child in the Woods this month.
[+]
International
Daily Telegraph – June 21, 2009
Publication of Book Raises Awareness of Nature Deficit in UK
By Julia Llewelyn Smith
The UK publication of Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods is helping to raise awareness of nature-deficit disorder there. Scheduled to appear on shelves July 1, the book has already prompted at least one journalist to predict that it will increase the pressure that parents feel to give their children more access to nature.
[+]
Allies
Drive – January 01, 2008
Subaru Promotes Children and Nature Movement
By Richard Louv
Car manufacturer Subaru has devoted the cover of its quarterly magazine Drive to promoting the children and nature movement. Inside the magazine there is an excerpt from Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods that provides a succinct introduction to the ideas behind the movement. The magazine also features information on the National Wildlife Federation’s Green Hour program and the efforts of the No Child Left Inside Coalition.
[+]
Research & Studies
Outdoor Resources Review Group – July 01, 2009
Great Outdoors America: The Report of the Outdoor Resources Review Group
The "Great Outdoors America" report by the Outdoor Resources Review Group is the first major assessment of the nation's outdoor resources since 1987. Released in July 2009, this comprehensive assessment of the nation's outdoor resources makes several key recommendations for safeguarding natural resources and increasing outdoor recreation opportunities including those for children and families. The Outdoor Resources Review Group has also published a series of backgrounders that cover a range of topics such as the relationship between outdoor recreation, health, and wellness.
Research & Studies
Outdoor Resources Review Group – July 06, 2009
Great Outdoors America Report Arrives on Capitol Hill
The Great Outdoors America Report, a wide-ranging review of how Americans engage with and value the nation’s natural resources and its outdoor recreation assets, is being presented today (July 6) to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Senators Jeff Bingaman and Lamar Alexander. Among the report’s key recommendations is the vigorous promotion of outdoor activities, especially in schools, to reconnect individuals at an early age to nature and physical pursuits. [+]
Commentary | Education
PRWeb – July 02, 2009
Nature School Issues Guide for Connecting Kids with Nature
A new book developed by the nonprofit Wilderness Awareness School in Washington State introduces experiential teaching methods to help parents, teachers, and outdoor leaders share the wonder of nature with kids of all ages. Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature is, in the words of one of its authors, a “way of teaching [that] hones students' senses and connects their imagination to the natural world.” [+]
State | Media & Culture
San Francisco Chronicle – January 25, 2009
Popularity of Camping Rises as Economy Falters
By Tom Stienstra
In the current tough economic times, outdoor pursuits like camping will become more popular as families search for cheaper recreation options. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Tom Stienstra examines the prospects this year for camping, hiking, biking, wildlife watching, and backpacking in the Bay Area and beyond.
[+]
Research & Studies | Health
Boston Globe – January 02, 2009
Nature Essential for the Brain, Scientists Report
By Jonah Lehrer
For the first time in history, the majority of the world’s people live in cities. Yet being in a city, scientists are discovering, impairs a person’s basic mental processes: the brain is less able to hold things in memory, and self-control becomes compromised. One of the main reasons for this impairment is the lack of nature in urban environments.
[+]
National | Access
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – October 21, 2008
EPA Video Explores the Value of Urban Wetlands
The film focuses on urban and suburban wetlands as valuable resources to be restored, protected, and enjoyed. These places, often the only remnants of the natural world in developed areas, can play a key role in connecting people to nearby nature—thereby improving the health of our children and our communities. [+]
Follow us on Twitter
Become a fan
Read our blog
Join us on NING
Sign up for News
As part of our ongoing efforts to build the movement, the Children & Nature Network has published two new resources for leaders, organizers, and participants at the local, national, and international levels:
