Repost N4L 036: "Vitamin N" by Richard Louv
Richard Louv, co-founder of the San Diego-based Children & Nature Network, author Richard Louv adds Vitamin N to his growing list of books encouraging us to get outside. Aimed especially at families eager to share nature with their kids, Louv’s practical guidebook offers "500 Ways to Enrich the Health & Happiness of Your Family & Community." All are appropriate for Earth Day, but they're also fitting throughout the year.
Through his 2008 landmark book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, Louv brought international attention to a backyard crisis. We are unnaturally detached from our natural surroundings. A decade later, this clarion call to parents, policymakers, and pediatricians continues to resonate. Sadly, society still suffers from obesity, attention disorders, and depression. Fortunately, however, Louv’s message has galvanized an international back-to-nature campaign to “Leave No Child Inside.”
City folks inclined to develop an adversarial relationship with nature find Louv's ideas comforting. For instance, dirt can strengthen immune systems; sticks are perhaps the world’s oldest toys; sunshine and water are for our use and pleasure. Louv invites these urbanites to step beyond their world of concrete and hand sanitizer, and, instead, gather courage as they build resilience and new outdoor skills.
Following Louv’s charge to return to nature, adults report regaining their own sense of wonder. Those stepping outside are feeling a greater sense of work-life balance and freedom from frenzied family schedules. (For more ideas aimed at adults, see The Nature Principle: Reconnecting with Life in a Virtual Age by Richard Louv.)
Just how much "Vitamin N" do we need? Louv believes “Some is good, and more is better.”
BUY Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Check out other titles by Richard Louv:
- Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder (2008)
- The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder (2011)
Read our blog about Frederick Law Olmsted, creator of New York’s Central Park.
Listen to Angela Hanscom (Episode 104) talk about her book, Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children, then buy the book.
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