Traditionally, nature has served as humanity's greatest teacher, the place where artists, poets and scientists go for inspiration. The natural world has the ability to draw us in and allow us to experience a sense of wonder. But what happens when children fail to bond with nature? Nature deficit disorder isn't a medical term but a social phenomenon identified by Richard Louv, the author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder. Nature deficit disorder describes the high cost of separation between nature and children — including attention deficit ... Read More
Earth to Stand on — Conservation Easements
January 18, 2010 • By • 17 Comments
In an area where much of the surrounding property is being converted to urban use, Sally Brown's parcel of land will forever be farm and forest no matter who owns it in the future. With a conservation easement in place, Brown can sleep in peace with the knowledge that her role as steward of the land passed down by her grandparents will be protected for future generations. "Our DNA is literally in this soil with five generations of my family," says Brown, art illustrator, in O'Fallon, Ill., a small town 30 miles east of St. Louis. "We were raised to have a relationship with this piece of ... Read More
Blinded by the Light
October 11, 2009 • By • 7 Comments
Plants, animals and humans developed with an internal clock — the circadian rhythm. It's a 24-hour cycle that affects physiological, biochemical and behavioral processes in almost all organisms. Civilization brought with it artificial light to homes in every village, town and city across the world, and as more buildings and factories came online, industrialization increased and the population continued to expand, our nighttime sky looked a lot like the day, changing our deep, dark sleep patterns and altering that 24-hour internal timekeeper. With that, all living creatures' lives ... Read More
