In 2005, Richard Louv identified a widespread ailment in American children that he called "nature-deficit disorder." In this book, he describes the same deficiency in adults and suggests some cures.
"In recent years an emerging body of research has begun to describe the restorative power of time spent in the natural world," he explains. "Even in small doses, we are learning, exposure to nature can measurably improve our psychological and physical health."
Finding our way back to nature is the problem. Today, for the first time in history, more than half the world's population lives in towns and cities and traditional ways of experiencing nature through work and daily living are vanishing along with hundreds of animal species. Where do we find nature amidst the sea of circuitry in which we are immersed? Louv has some suggestions.
Begin by embracing with joy the sanguine mystery and beauty of life. Get outside. Experience the natural world and therein find hope in its restorative powers and imagine a better future. Paraphrasing Martin Luther
King, “Any cultural movement will fail if it can’t paint a picture of a world where people want to go to.”
Continued in ...
The Nature Pages
Reconnecting with Life in a Virtual Age
by Richard Louv
Algonquin Books, 2012
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The Nature Pages
Rich attributes including vibrant color, fragrance, and sheer variety of form make flowering shrubs the most rewarding of garden plants, but this vast group with its scores of tempting plants — including abutilons, camellias, viburnums, and witch hazels — requires careful navigation.
