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By Brigitte Griswold
"People who care conserve; people who don't know, don't care." —Robert Michael Pyle
One hot afternoon by the New Jersey seashore, a 16-year-old New York City native named Tyquan Logan dipped his toes in the surf for the first time in his life.
He was cautiously watching a mysterious object float along the water's edge. At first, he was convinced he had discovered a silicon breast implant that had washed ashore from New York. Later he learned he had stumbled upon a common moon jellyfish, from a phylum of animals over 500 million years old.
Tyquan's story is far from unique: He is one of over 82 million youth in the United States that are the first generation in history to grow up more familiar with modern technology than nature.
As more and more conservation groups worry about what children's alienation from nature bodes for the future, a growing body of researchers, public officials, parents and faith-based communities are also taking serious notice.
Kids Need Nature, and Nature Needs Kids
In early 2005 Richard Louv, child advocacy expert and author of Last Child in the Woods, was the first to begin compiling a growing body of research that suggests:
- A lack of exposure to nature is linked to rises in obesity, attention-deficit disorder and depression;
- Access to green space contributes to improved human health and behavior;
- Direct experience in nature as a child is the biggest influence on adult support for conservation; and
- Nature visitation worldwide has declined sharply since the 1980s.
For conservationists, these trends pose a serious threat: If today's children are not experiencing nature, they will not protect it as adults.
Couple this fact with the changing demographics of an increasingly urban and ethnically diverse country, and it becomes clear that in order to ensure a strong constituency in the future, we need to provide opportunities for youth from all backgrounds to develop a direct relationship with nature.
While Louv didn't expect his book to spark a national movement, his message resonated far beyond the conservation community with some of the most unlikely bedfellows who share a common concern for their children's health. They include:
- The National Forum on Children and Nature, a consortium of the nation's most influential leaders from real estate, religious, pharmaceutical, environmental, entertainment and travel arenas, along with state governors and city mayors;
- The Children and Nature Network, a new nonprofit designed to synthesize the combined efforts of researchers, educators and organizations; and
- The No Child Left Inside Coalition, 45 million Americans who worked together to pass the No Child Left Inside Act of 2008 in the House of Representatives.
The Nature Conservancy is also ramping up its efforts to reconnect children and nature. From New York, to Utah, Montana, and China, we partner with local school and community groups to provide access to protected natural areas.
We haven't forgotten about parents, either, who are often the gatekeepers of their children's outdoor time. The Conservancy is working with partners such as ecoAmerica on an ambitious social marketing campaign to encourage ALL parents to get their children into the wild world of nature that sustains us all.
After all, the future health of our planet, and the health of our children, depends on it.
(March 2009)
Fast-Forward to the Future of Conservation!
- A Dow Jones Average for the Environment
- Get Kids Back to Nature
- Conservationists — Can We Talk?
- A New Market for Shellfish
- The Turbine Beneath Our Feet
- Taking a Census of Nature
- Get Urbanites Interested in Conservation
- Sea Change for Ocean Management
- Bringing Business to the Parks
- Small Island Nations: Green Leaders?
- Truly Sustainable Hydropower
- Measuring Conservation Success
Photo credits (top to bottom, left to right): © Internship student Jumane has a blast kayaking (TNC); Courtesy of Brigitte Griswold
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