Richard Louv was the first to identify a phenomenon that we knew existed but couldn’t quite articulate: nature-deficit disorder. His book Last Child in the Woods created a conversation about the disconnection between children and nature as a result of being so plugged into electronic diversions. He brought together studies that pointed to direct exposure to nature as essential for a child’s healthy physical and emotional development, linking the lack of nature in children’s lives and the rise in obesity, attention disorders, and depression.
This book is akin, pertinent and essential to the coronavirus situation that we find ourselves in. It is a reminder of the importance of our need to be outside with nature, especially for children. And it reminds us of the balance we need to strike between sitting for long periods focussed on digital media and the beauty of many moments being present and one with nature.
