 Why Environmental Education
These days, children have a multitude of indoor activities. From video games and television, to the Internet and on‐line chat rooms and blogs, youth in our country can reach out and explore the world electronically, but they may never really experience it.
Pictures and descriptions are nice, but what does a forest really smell like? What does the skin of a toad feel like? Are snakes really slimy, or do they just look that way?
Richard Louv recently wrote a book titled Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature‐Deficit Disorder which outlines several physical and social health problems children can develop from a life indoors.
In addition, several states have started No Child Left Inside campaigns to promote healthy, outdoor activities.
A University of Maryland study noted a 50 percent drop in children who participate regularly in outdoor activities from 1997‐2003.
With the mounting evidence and expert opinions pointing to a need for youth to unplug from the electric world and experience the outside one, parents and teachers should embrace any opportunity for children to venture beyond familiar walls.
LOMC’s EE program can foster a greater understanding and appreciation for nature and communities.
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