Richard Louv, the best-selling author of
Last Child in the Woods and
The Nature Principle, will speak at Baylor School this
Monday, in the Baylor Alumni Chapel at
7 p.m. followed by a book-signing.
The event is free and open to the public.
Living in an area that is widely accalimed for its natural resources and outdoor recreation, Chattanoogans are in a prime position to take Louv's message to heart. His books have sparked national debate that created an international movement to reconnect kids and nature; influenced national policy; and helped inspire campaigns in over 80 cities, states, and provinces throughout North America. In a 2013 New York Times editorial, Louv referenced "a growing body of scientific evidence" that suggests "human health and the ability to learn and create are enhanced by spending more time in natural environments; that children in nature-based play areas and schools are often better at creating their own games; and that they show fewer symptoms of attention deficit than students in indoor-focused classrooms."
Louv is co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of the
Children & Nature Network, an organization helping build the international movement to connect people and communities to the natural world. As a journalist and commentator, he has written for
The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Times of London, Orion, Outside and other newspapers and magazines. He was a columnist for
The San Diego Union Tribune and
Parents magazine.
He appears frequently on national radio and television programs, including the Today Show, CBS Evening News, and NPR’s Fresh Air, and often addresses national and international gatherings. In 2010, he delivered the plenary keynote at the national conference of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and in 2012 was keynote speaker at the first White House Summit on Environmental Education.