Last Child in the Woods

"The children and nature movement is fueled by this fundamental idea: the child in nature is an endangered species, and the health of children and the health of the Earth are inseparable." -Richard Louv, from the new edition In his landmark work Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv brought together cutting-edge studies that pointed to direct exposure to nature as essential for a child's healthy physical and emotional development. Now this new edition updates the growing body of evidence linking the lack of nature in children's lives and the rise in obesity, attention disorders, and depression. Louv's message has galvanized an international back-to-nature campaign to "Leave No Child Inside." His book will change the way you think about our future and the future of our children. "[The] national movement to 'leave no child inside' . . . has been the focus of Capitol Hill hearings, state legislative action, grass-roots projects, a U.S. Forest...

Richard Louv is a journalist and the author of ten books, including Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, The Nature Principle, and Vitamin N. Translated into twenty languages, his books have helped launch an international movement to connect children, families, and communities to nature. He is cofounder and chair emeritus of the nonprofit Children & Nature Network, which supports a new nature movement. Louv has written for the New York Times, Outside magazine, Orion Magazine, Parents, and many other publications. He appears regularly on national radio and TV, and lectures throughout the world. In 2008, he was awarded the Audubon Medal. Prior recipients have included Rachel Carson, E. O. Wilson, President Jimmy Carter, and Sir David Attenborough.

Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1 Part I : The New Relationship Between Children and Nature 1. Gifts of Nature . . . . 7 2. The Third Frontier . . . . . . 15 3. The Criminalization of Natural Play . . . . . 27 Part II:Why the Young (and the Rest of Us) Need Nature 4. Climbing the Tree of Health . .. 39 5. A Life of the Senses: Nature vs. the Know-It-All State of Mind . . . . . 54 6. The “Eighth Intelligence” . . . 70 7. The Genius of Childhood: How Nature Nurtures Creativity . . .. 85 8. Nature-Deficit Disorder and the Restorative Environment . . . 98 Part III: The Best of Intentions: Why Johnnie and Jeannie Don't Play Outside Anymore 9. Time and Fear .. . . 115 10. The Bogeyman Syndrome Redux . . . . . 123 11. Don't Know Much About Natural History: Education as a Barrier to Nature .. 132 12. Where Will Future Stewards of Nature Come From? . . . 145 Part IV: The Nature-Child Reunion 13. Bringing Nature Home . . . 161 14. Scared Smart: Facing the Bogeyman . . . . 176 15. Telling Turtle Tales: Using Nature as a Moral Teacher . 187 Part V: The Jungle Blackboard 16. Natural School Reform . . . 201 17. Camp Revival . . . 223 Part VI: Wonder Land: Opening the Fourth Frontier 18. The Education of Judge Thatcher: Decriminalizing Natural Play . .. 233 19. Cities Gone Wild . .. 239 20. Where the Wild Things Will Be: A New Back-to-the-Land Movement . . . . 265 Part VII: To Be Amazed 21. The Spiritual Necessity of Nature for the Young . . . . . . 285 22. Fire and Fermentation: Building a Movement . . . . 301 23. While It Lasts . . . . 309 Notes 311 Suggested Reading 321 Index 325