Words
When he coined the term “nature-deficit disorder” in 2005, Richard Louv wasn’t talking about an incurable medical condition caused by too little sunshine. Instead, Last Child in the Woods, the book he published that year, focused its pages on closing the ever-growing gap between children and nature.
After the overwhelmingly positive response the tome garnered—it’s been translated into nine languages, featured on Oprah, and stimulated a variety of public conversations around the globe—Louv realized it wasn’t just kids that needed open-air stimulation to thrive.
In The Nature Principle, Louv takes his ideas about the healing power of the outside world and adds layers of how-to action to help make his vision a reality.
“Illuminated by ideas and stories from good people I have met, this book asks: What would our lives be like if our days and nights were as immersed in nature as they are in technology?” Louv posits in the introduction to the book. “How can each of us help create that life-enhancing world, not only in a hypothetical future, but right now, for our families and ourselves?”
In some cases, the actions Louv suggests are simple; instead of walking circles in a mall, get your recommended dosage daily dosage of aerobic exercise in the great outdoors. He also says to find “that one true spot”—it could be where you were born, where you’ve spent your adulthood or a new locale that speaks to your soul—and become immersed in it.
“One answer is to stay put, to discover and become fully immerse in our own bioregion, to encourage immediate changes and long-term policies that create and encourage higher human density where we live,” Louv writes. “And, wherever we end up, we can bring more nature to our homes and yards (no waiting required).”
When Louv comes to Bellingham Fri., May 13 to make his case for a nature-balanced existence, he’ll be discussing the tenets of his theories with Pulitzer Prize-winning environmental journalist William Dietrich, a man who happens to know a thing or two about the science of human ecology.
One thing you’ll likely come away with after reading The Nature Principle or attending the meet-and-greet is that, while time is of the essence where protecting and preserving nature is concerned, it’s not too late to make a difference.
“Our society must do more than talk about the importance of nature; it must ensure that people in every kind of neighborhood have everyday access to natural spaces, places and experiences,” Louv writes near the end of the book. “To make that happen, this truth must become evident: We can truly care for nature and ourselves only if we see nature and ourselves as inseparable.”
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