e-connections

“Every child is born a naturalist. His eyes are, by nature, open to the glories of the stars, the beauty of the flowers, and the mystery of life.” R. Search

“If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.” Rachel Carson

This special issue of E-COnnections focuses on nature-deficit disorder (NDD), a term coined by author Richard Louv in his best-selling book Last Child in the Woods. Some have called NDD the biggest sustainability issue of our time, as it connects to so many large societal concerns. Learn more about it below, and we hope that you can join us on Friday evening, November 21, for an evening with Richard Louv. Find out how you can be Rachel Carson’s “one adult” in the lives of children you live and work with.

The Education Team

Nature in the News and Feature Articles
1. Back to Nature: The Need to Reconnect Children and Nature
Parents of young children should be aghast when reading much of the news that comes out concerning the health and wellness of today’s child – Canadian children spend an average of 35 to 42 hours per week in front of TV/computer/video game screens; over 30 percent of children are overweight, and half of these are obese; prescriptions for medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medications have doubled in recent years; childhood anxiety and depression diagnoses have also made abrupt climbs; youth are showing early signs of heart and circulatory problems, ... and it goes on. Across North America and around the Earth, children in affluent countries are living a lifestyle that is setting them up for a lifetime of health concerns.

These issues should be of concern to everyone because their impacts are going to reverberate across our society for decades to come. The most obvious worry is long-term human health (researchers feel that this generation will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents and our health care system will have a large burden to bear), but of equal concern is long-term environmental health. More ...

2. Last Child in the Woods: An Evening with Richard Louv
Join us on Friday evening, November 21 at 7 p.m. for a presentation by award-winning author, Richard Louv. More ...

3. Back to Nature: Towards an Ontario Strategy for Bringing Nature and Children Together
A special strategic planning workshop with 35 special guests from over 30 national and provincial organizations. More ...

Classroom Activities and Resources
1. Still Hunting
Usually, when we go for a walk in nature, our very presence disturbs the natural way of things and we see and learn little from the experience. To get around this, Native Americans practiced what they called "still hunting." The idea was not to go out and actively seek nature but rather to find a spot and let nature come to them. More ...

2. RBG Staff Picks
Great books, websites and resources recommended by Royal Botanical Gardens' staff.

Supported by

We welcome your questions and suggestions; email us at programs@rbg.ca.
For more on Royal Botanical Gardens educational activities please visit our website.

You have been sent this issue because you indicated that you were interested in receiving education / children’s programs information from Royal Botanical Gardens.
© 2008 Royal Botanical Gardens. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

Royal Botanical Gardens, 680 Plains Road West, Burlington, Ontario, Canada