Articles
Why Children (and the rest of us) Need Nature
Written by Richard Louv, this essay concisely explains a growing trend of disconnection from nature and cites research that points to the imperative to reconnect and heal.
Nature Is the Ultimate Living Teacher
Written by VWP Executive Director Stacey Hinden, this article describes how learning in a multi-sensory environment as did our ancestors is good medicine for the body and mind.
Children & Nature Network (C&NN)
Recent research shows that children who spend significant time immersed in unstructured play in nature are more relaxed, better at problem-solving and critical thinking, more focused, and exhibit more cooperative behavior and team-work
Benefits – National Wildlife Federation
This website has links to scientific studies that prove the many benefits of spending time in nature, including better eyesight and better standardized test scores!
Nature Connection Books
Jon Young, Ellen Haas, Evan McGowan, Coyote’s Guide to Nature Mentoring
Joseph Cornell, Sharing Nature with Children
Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder
Richard Louv, The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature Deficit Disorder
online
Coyote Mentoring & Eight Shields Trainings
Other Related Resources
Naomi Aldort, Raising our Children, Raising Ourselves
Myla and John Kabat Zinn, Everyday blessings: the Inner Work of Mindful Parenting
Alfie Kohn, Punished by Rewards: the Trouble With Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, Praise and Other Bribes
Marshall Rosenberg, Non-Violent Communication: A Language for Life
Bill Plotkin, Nature and the Human Soul: Cultivating Wholeness and Community in a Fragmented World
Bill Plotkin, Soulcraft
Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass