Go outside!!

Background Author Richard Louv coined the term “nature deficit disorder’ in his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods. Louv is concerned about a lack of connection to the environment and to nature in modern society. While he wrote about children, many adults spend far more time using electronic devices than outdoors enjoying the natural world. How does this disconnect affect people, on communities, and on the environment? Louv suggests that the solution is a close by as our backyards. Simply being outdoors, rather than inside, can help us to feel connected to nature.

Additional Information

• Interview with Richard Louv on NPR Saving Kids from ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’ (Links to an external site.)
• Richard Louv’s homepage (Links to an external site.)
• Nature Deficit Disorder The Critical Role of Environmental Education for your Child’s Future (Links to an external site.)
• Psychology Today No More “Nature-Deficit Disorder” (Links to an external site.)

Your Assignment

You are going to have an up close and personal experience with the natural world. Your task is to go somewhere outside in nature and sit quietly for 30 minutes. NO ELECTRONIC DEVICES ALLOWED!! Surfboards, fishing poles or similar devices are acceptable. Observe what is going on around you and how you feel.

When your time is up, write a one page essay about your experience. Note that this is NOT a research paper. You are writing about your own thoughts, so no research or references needed.

Fishing would fit my hobby and I am located in Jacksonville, FL. thank you