Children and nature: Reconnecting to the natural world for health improvement

Most adults remember the feeling of taking a walk in a park and being able to identify the harbingers of spring; or being awe struck by an interesting plant life as they biked along a nature trail at a local wildlife refuge. These outings in nature are mandatory for our human development. They increase aerobic endurance, reduce stress level, promote lifelong physical activity and help us appreciate and protect wildlife. Many children today are raised in an urban environment where computers, video games, television and cell phones are the primary sources of entertainment. The need for outings in the natural environment as a necessary part of our human development is lost. It is now rare that a child on a regular basis will seek the solace, wonder and beauty of a natural habitat and in return reap the necessary health benefits from these explorations. The number of children that suffer from obesity, asthma, diabetes and attention deficient disorders is steadily rising. The urban and suburban sprawls widen each year thus threatening precious and unique habitat. Younger generations are being handicapped in their development by ignoring the great outdoors. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has created an initiative called, “Children and Nature: Reconnecting to the Natural World.” Its purpose is to create, test, evaluate and disseminate successful models that will get children back out into nature for their development. These models can be used in other communities. This poster describes the “nature deficit issue” and highlights successful program models.