In 2007 John Read a book that changed the direction of his career.  The book was The Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, Richard Louv.

When asked of their greatest concerns for the environment, scientists and leaders answered not global warming, but the fact that children no longer play outside. 

When young children have a chance to play outside in the woods, fields, wetlands and prairies, they have an opportunity for “transcendent experiences in nature.”  It is those experiences that instills them a love for the natural world and a deep desire to preserve it. 

Without such “transcendent experiences” by children on a large scale in our society, the environment must surely loose its constituency.  Why care for something you don’t know about?

And so it has become our vital and delightful mission to bring children into nature to play, to frolic, to run, to dream.  Come join in our efforts!

“We can stamp out nature-deficit disorder in our time!”

Links:

Mississippi Urban Forest Council  www.msurbanforest.com

Mississippi Environmental Education Alliance   www.eeinmississippi.org

Earth Foundation   www.earthfound.com

Gray Center Episcopal Camp   www.graycenter.dioms.org/

Leaders and sources of inspiration:

This is the impetus for my new children’s book to come out in May of 2009, entitled, “Read This Book Outside”.

More to come…

In my work with the Rankin County Environmental Learning Lab and with the Earth Lab at Gray Center, I work in the woods with student and adult groups teaching compass and GPS skills, natural systems, water quality, etc.  More information and pricing is available upon request.