Richard Louv

The reason we feel good at the beach isn’t just because of the view. Natural settings such as beaches, waterfalls, even the zoo — if it’s rich with plant life and water features — are usually filled with negative ions, invisible and odorless molecules that we inhale. When they reach our bloodstream, negative ions are believed to increase levels of serotonin, which alleviate depression. (

Today, children and adults who work and learn in a dominating digital environment expend enormous energy blocking out many of the human senses — including ones we don’t even know we have — in order to focus narrowly on the screen in front of the eyes. That’s the very definition of being less alive. What parent wants his or her child to be less alive? Who among us wants to be less alive

all children need nature, not only those whose parents appreciate nature, not only those of a certain economic class or culture or set of abilities. All children, and future generations, have a right to a nature-rich future, and the option to share in the responsibilities that come with that right