NATURE DEFICIT DISORDER?

By Ella Tyler

Author Richard Louv, a futurist and journalist who writes about family, nature, and community, coined the term “Nature Deficit Disorder” to explain a variety of ills that affect today’s youth – obesity, attention disorders, and depression. In his newest book, Last Child in the Woods, Louv collects highlights from the huge body of research about the need for direct exposure to nature for healthy child development. Much of this is not new – we’ve heard for years that hospital patients who have a view to the outdoors recover faster, for example, but Louv takes another step and talks about the various ways children are separated from nature. Louv talks about summer camp, and says that when he was young, he and other baby boomers, went to camp and slept in tents, hiked in the woods, leaned about plants and animals, and told scary stories around a campfire. Now, he says, summer camp is as likely to be a computer camp or weight loss program. Until Louv recites the ways children are separated from nature, I hadn’t realized how pervasive the problem is. He talks about kids skiing down a mountain with headphones on; children who aren’t allowed into build tree houses because of subdivision regulations; and family trips in vehicles that have TV screens in the back seat so the children don’t even see the scenery.He suggests that participating in organized sports does not count as intimate contact with nature, reminding me of my niece’s first soccer game, which was disrupted when two of her teammates wandered off to pick flowers.

Baby boomers may read the book nostalgically, but Louv’s intent is not to write a memoir. He wants to inspire everyone, not only parents and teachers, to make ways for children to truly connect with real nature. And not at the Nature Store. This book, a pleasure to read, will show the way.
Richard Louv will be speaking in Houston on Tuesday, October 2 at 7:30 pm at Cullen Theater, Wortham Center. His talk will be followed by a book signing. The event is free to the public but reservations must be made to ensure a seat. Call (713) 226-7200 ext 101 for reservations.

Louv’s talk is sponsored by the Trust for Public land and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department.