Acadia Partners Blog

First–up until the end of the 19th century–we set out to use and conquer nature. Then, with much of the conquest behind us, we romanticized our view of nature and decided to protect some of it, setting aside the National Parks as an inspiration to future generations. But the surprising dilemma is that the future generations aren’t paying attention. The iconic images for children are no longer cowboys and Indians or Davy Crockett out on the frontier, but rappers on the city streets. For most children growing up today, nature is simply not relevant. So … what do we do now?

Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder is an engaging read that speaks to the future health of children and of our National Parks. The book is about the way that young people connect to nature–or, more accurately, connect to it less and less. As Acadia National Park superintendent Sheridan Steele has noted, continued support for conserved places depends on engaging children with nature and getting them into the parks. Louv’s book shows us that we are failing to create that engagement.