Nature connection & nature deficit

WWT - Generation Wild - Nature Connection through Storytelling

Generation Wild has connected thousands of children and families with nature, improving well-being and increasing care and concern for nature.

WWT have recently launched a tear-jerking animation to celebrate the impact of Generation Wild, their nature connection programme for schools, children and families in economically disadvantaged communities. This comes as the 100,000th nature activity has been completed through the programme. Generation Wild has also been recognised for ‘best contribution towards transforming nature connection’ at the recent Outdoor Recreation Network awards 2024.

WWT 2024

The Nature Connection Handbook: A Guide for Increasing People’s Connection with Nature

'The real-world application of the science of nature connection really matters – there’s an urgent need to connect more people, more fully with the rest of nature. With widespread recognition of the importance of a close relationship with nature, there has been growing use of nature connection principles and practices across a range of sectors, including environmental, mental health, social care, youth, arts and creative industries, local government, community, education, and business. To meet the increasing demand for help in the design and delivery of nature connection initiatives, we have created this guide.'
Professor Miles Richardson, May 2022.

Noticing Nature: what are the essential ingredients for a positive connection to nature? (pdf)

Research with children and adults looking at: factors associated with proactively doing things to help nature; significance of ‘tuning in’, noticing or paying attention to nature; how these benefit wellbeing.
National Trust, February 2020

Getting Kids to Connect With Nature

Interview with US palaeontologist, museum curator and children’s TV Host Dr. Scott Sampson, about his book How to Raise A Wild Child, looking at the importance & benefits of connecting children to nature, keeping them interested as they get older, and some of the barriers.
The Mother Company (US), 15 April 2019

Writing Prescriptions to Play Outdoors

Inspired by Richard Louv’s work on Nature Deficit Disorder, Dr Zarr is the founder and medical director of Park Rx America, a nonprofit that encourages doctors to prescribe parks, based on the expanding scientific literature that shows that spending time outdoors is good for physical and mental health.
New York Times (US), 16 July 2018

Re-Wild Your Child!

Opinion piece, celebrating Earth Day, Richard Louv’s Nature Deficit theory, Forest Schools and arguing ‘for “green time” over “screen time.”’
JSTOR Daily, 17 April 2018

Last Treehouse in the Woods

“In “Last Child in the Woods,” Richard Louv wrote about the criminalization of nature play. He wrote about a civic association that would spend much of their time & resources hunting through the forests in an effort to try to catch children in the act of building a treehouse. In the eyes of the association, the kids had to be stopped.” This article is written by one of those kids, now grown up.
Children & Nature Network, 22 February 2018

Building a Movement to Help Young Children Connect with Nature and Care for it

Looking at the early childhood environmental education movement and how to get more children to experience “the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.”
Natural Start Alliance, October 2017

Badger or Bulbasaur – have children lost touch with nature?

Studies show that children are better at identifying Pokémon characters than real animals and plants. Author Robert Macfarlane writes about his quest to reconnect young readers with the natural world, and writing his Lost Words book.
The Guardian, 30 September 2017

Are you suffering from nature deficiency disorder?

Not enough time outdoors leads kids to become disconnected, says naturalist. ‘Brian Keating, a naturalist who spent 30 years working with the Calgary Zoo, says children aren’t spending time in nature, and as a result, they are becoming disconnected from the world. Keating credits author Richard Louv for coining the phrase nature deficiency disorder…’
CBC News (Canada), 2 October 2015

The Criminalization of Natural Play

Article in which Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, discusses the “decades-long slide toward the criminalization of natural play” and suggests what could be on the agenda of a national or international Forum on Children, Nature and the Law.
Children & Nature Network, 6 April 2015

The Impact of Children’s Connection to Nature

“This report presents findings on the impact of connection to nature from a survey of 775 children, using the child as the unit of analysis, rather than aggregated data. The results demonstrated that children who were more connected to nature had significantly higher English attainment, although this wasn’t repeated for Mathematics. Further, the 1.5 Connection to Nature Index (CNI) level was found to be a significant threshold across other measures, with those children with a CNI of 1.5 or above having significantly higher health, life satisfaction, pro-environmental behaviours and pro-nature behaviours.”
Report by the University of Derby for the RSPB, 2015

Bring Down The Barriers!

Five Causes of Nature-Deficit Disorder; Five Challenges for the New Nature Movement.
Richard Louv, Children & Nature Network, 31 Aug 2013

The Misdiagnosis: Rethinking ‘‘Nature-deficit Disorder’’ (pdf)

‘This study examines and critiques ‘‘nature-deficit disorder’’ (NDD), Richard Louv’s popular theory of how and why children are alienated from nature… I call on adults to rethink human-nature disconnectedness by returning to the psyche, digging deeper to the problem’s cultural roots, and using nontraditional communication practices such as emotional expression and non-naming.’
Elizabeth Dickinson, Journal of Environmental Communication, 2013

Connecting with nature

Finding out how connected to nature the UK’s children are. Sections include • What does “connection to nature” mean? • Why does connection matter so much to children? • Saving nature – now and in the future • How do children connect? • The state of UK children’s connection to nature in 2013. Also includes recommendations for policy change and Get measuring! a questionnaire for you to use to see how connected to nature your children are.
RSPB, 2013

If children lose contact with nature they won’t fight for it

George Monbiot considers our declining wildlife, Nature Deficit Disorder and what will happen it we don’t tackle it.
The Guardian, 19 November 2012

Benefits of Connecting Children with Nature (pdf)

Why Naturalize Outdoor Learning Environments? ‘This InfoSheet discusses the benefits of connecting children to nature and presents examples of simple ways to naturalize outdoor learning environments in childcare centers.’
Natural Learning Initiative (US), January 2012

Natural Childhood

Executive summary: “This report presents compelling evidence that we as a nation, and especially our children, are exhibiting the symptoms of a modern phenomenon known as ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’. We look at what this disorder is costing us, why it’s proving so difficult to reverse, and gather current thinking on what we must do to eliminate it, before opening up the question to the nation for consideration.”
Stephen Moss, for the National Trust, 2012

Connecting Kids & Nature: special reports

Some excellent reports into children & nature – and how it effects their wellbeing, health, learning and more.

Whole Child: Developing Mind, Body, and Spirit Through Outdoor Play, 2010

The Dirt on Dirt: How Getting Dirty Outdoors Benefits Kids, 2012

Green Time for Sleep Time: Three Ways Nature and Outdoor Time Improve Your Child’s Sleep, c2011

The Forecast Calls for Play: Feel Confident Outdoors No Matter the Weather, 2013

Outdoor Play for Every Day, 2012

Back to School: Back Outside! Create High Performing Students, 2010

Time Out: Using the Outdoors to Enhance Classroom Performance, c2009

Summary: Connecting Kids and Nature, c2007

Children and nature

‘Sets out the findings of a review into the evidential support for claims about the benefits for children of experiences with nature.’ Tim Gill of Rethinking Childhood, November 2011. Why does nature matter to children? What’s the evidence? Tim Gill explains his thinking, methods and learning from the above report.

Nature Deficit Disorder

‘Global Voices for Justice interviews Richard Louv, author of The Nature Principle, Last Child in the Woods, The Web of Life, and other books. Louv shares a hopeful message for every area of life from more productive workplaces, to better classroom learning and healing our nature-starved spirits.’ 26 June 2011. (12 min 12)

Effective approaches to connect children with nature

‘Based on a review of relevant research and literature… insights from research findings on the most effective approaches for engaging with different age groups. Finally, the paper reviews the role of participative, active arts education as a tool for facilitating and effectively connecting children and nature.’ Department of Conservation, New Zealand, 2011.

Why our children need to get outside and engage with nature

‘… a growing body of evidence is starting to show that it’s not so much what children know about nature that’s important, as what happens to them when they are in nature (and not just in it, but in it by themselves, without grownups)… when kids stop going out into the natural world to play, it can affect not just their development as individuals, but society as a whole.’ The Guardian, 16 August 2010.

Every Child Outdoors

Children need nature. Nature needs children. “Draws together the findings from the wide range of research that has been carried out into the positive impacts that contact with nature has on children, as well as on the environment. It also explores some of the consequences of the loss of such experiences and, sadly, the increasingly used term of Nature Deficit Disorder to describe the phenomenon.” Also Every Child Outdoors Wales. RSPB, 2010.

Last Child in the Woods – review

Review of the book in which Louv coins the term “nature deficit disorder”. The Guardian, 11 July 2009.

Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv

Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder Influential work about the divide between children and the outdoors, and the importance of direct exposure to nature for healthy childhood development & for the physical & emotional health of children and adults. This new edition reflects the enormous changes that have taken place since the book was originally published. 2008. Available from Muddy Faces.

The Nature Connection Pyramid

Timely steps to creating meaningful time in nature. Available to download from The Nature Kids Institute, which also has a great videos and radio library. (not dated)

Nature Deficit: What the Research Shows

Documenting the “nature deficit” concept that author Richard Louv writes about in his book Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder. Referencing research-based indicators of the nature-deficit and research-based indicators of nature’s benefits to children. Early stats from American Trails, 2007.