In the ground breaking book No Child Left Indoors, Richard Louv details how children are spending less time outdoors and more either engaged in electronic media or structured activity.  This trend has many immediate impacts, particularly on the physical, social and cognitive well being of children and is of concern to many in the health sector.

The long term impacts of this sea change in children's play is of concern to many in the environmental and conservation arena.  Tom Tanner's landmark study in 1980 about the significant life experiences of environmental and conservation leaders pointed to childhood experiences in the outdoors as being influential in their environmental concern.  In 2007, Louise Chawla reviewed the literature about what made people concerned about the environment and confirmed Tanner's initial findings about time in the outdoors as a child.

EECSD has selected reconnecting children to the outdoors as one of its three special initiatives, the other two being climate change education and No Child Left Inside.  If you have a passion to see children (and adults) in the outdoors once again, I invite you to start learning and taking the first steps to make a change in your life, your family, your community.