“Last Child in the Woods” Author Richard Louv at CCRI

“Rhode Island… could become the leading state in the children and nature movement."

Providence, RI — September 27, 2008 — On Saturday, at the Warwick campus of the Community College of Rhode Island, the acclaimed author, founder of the Child & Nature Network, and activist, Richard Louv, delivered a lecture based upon his latest book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.

Giving a special introduction for Mr. Louv was U.S. Senator Jack Reed, author of the "No Child Left Inside Act," a new initiative designed to strengthen environmental education programs in America's classrooms and reconnect more kids with nature.

Last Child in the Woods has stimulated an international conversation about the future relationship between children and nature, and has helped spawn a movement that is now moving into federal and state legislatures, national parks and local schools. Mr. Louv serves as chairman of the Children & Nature Network, an organization helping to build the international movement to connect children with nature. He also serves as honorary co-chair of The National Forum on Children and Nature. Co-chaired by four state governors, the Forum, sponsored by the Conservation Fund, will fund programs around the country designed to get kids outside. In 2008, he was awarded the Audubon Medal by the National Audubon Society. Past recipients have included Rachel Carson, E.O. Wilson, Robert Redford, and Jimmy Carter.

"Perhaps because Rhode Island is the second most-densely populated state, Rhode Islanders have always promoted efforts to protect the natural areas that define their state through support of state and local bonds and creation of parks and preserves,” Louv observed. “The Ocean State boasts over 300 miles of coastline, and, thankfully, supports a number of growing efforts through conservation groups, schools and political leaders to get children out-of-doors to connect with the nature that they find in their communities. But like every state, Rhode Island can do much more—in fact, it could become the leading state in the children and nature movement."

Reed's No Child Left Inside Act has picked up momentum and passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week by a wide margin of 293-109.

"Teaching children about the environment and giving them a hands-on opportunity to experience nature should be an important part of the curriculum in our schools," said Reed. "The strong vote in the House is a positive first step toward restoring environmental education in America's classrooms. I look forward to hearing from Mr. Louv and working with my colleagues in Congress to include NCLI as part of a broader elementary and secondary education bill."

The presentation by Mr. Louv is being sponsored by a partnership of leading local environmental organizations who are dedicated to environmental advocacy and education: The Nature Conservancy; Audubon Society of R.I.; the Coastal Institute at the University of Rhode Island; Norman Bird Sanctuary; R.I. Environmental Educational Association; Roger Williams Park Zoo; Save the Bay; and the Apeiron Society for Sustainable Living.

"We are extremely pleased that Richard Louv is bringing his inspiring and provocative views and wholehearted commitment to today's kids to Rhode Islanders," said Janet Coit, state director of The Nature Conservancy, on behalf of the partnership. "Senator Jack Reed is also in the forefront of efforts to promote the importance of getting kids out-of-doors, working hard in Congress to ensure that these ideals are instilled nationwide in our educational system. The time has surely arrived for America's next generations to get outside and learn from the magic of nature around them. Fortunately, in Rhode Island we are blessed with an incredible array of habitats and places in which to revel."

All of the co-sponsors of Louv’s lecture are actively involved in education initiatives that bring children and nature closer together:

The Nature Conservancy works to protect the wild places that provide the "natural classrooms" about which Richard Louv writes in Last Child in the Woods.
Roger Williams Park Zoo is a living classroom whose exhibits and education programs serve children throughout the Southeastern New England region.
The Audubon Society of Rhode Island has a wildlife refuge system, protecting nearly 9,500 acres of wildlife habitat, which provides students with the opportunity to discover first-hand wetlands, fields, forests, and streams.
Save The Bay has been doing standards-based experiential education programming for over 20 years, using Rhode Island’s largest natural resource, Narragansett Bay, as its classroom.
The Norman Bird Sanctuary has public education programs such the Neighborhood Naturalists After School Club and the Saturday Explorers Club that link to the spirit of Last Child in The Woods.
Apeiron's outdoor programs help people of all ages discover and experience their connection to the world around them, choose courses of action that promote health, well being and the environment, and become leaders of sustainable living in their communities.

For more information on each organization’s educational programs, please contact them directly.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.