Get Outside

The nature movement is alive and well in Atlanta.  Richard Louv, author of the popular Last Child in the Woods and creator of the Children and Nature Network, spoke at Buckhead’s Trinity Presbyterian Church to a packed house.  Mr. Louv’s thesis is simple - children today do not spend enough time outdoors.  

Mr. Louv’s premise starts with childhood memories of the woods near his home, which predictably were soon marked with surveyor stakes, then bulldozer tracks, and then a stripmall.  He describes his sense of loss and longing for “his” woods throughout his book.  Even his son wonders, “Dad, how come it was more fun when you were a kid?”  Mr. Louv hopes that today’s children will begin to turn away from the cycle of indoor electronics-based play, obesity, and resultant health problems, and reconnect to all that is green.  Ted Turner, speaking at the Piedmont Park Conservancy’s Landmark Lunch on May 13th, echoed Mr. Louv’s memories when he described the woods near his Savannah childhood home, which were similarly lost to development, and called for Atlanta to vigorously support its parks and green spaces - especially in these tough economic times.

Morningside Parks hopes that the City will continue to join Mr. Louv’s movement and that we get outside!  For more information on the Children and Nature Movement, you can visit this site and watch this short video.