90379.jpg - A grassy hill with daffodils and clouds scudding overhead: there's a whole world of nature out there, as many kids are only just discovering. Author Richard Louv, who coined the term “Nature Deficit Disorder” in his 2005 book “Last Child in the Woods”, has worried that nature deprivation, a lack of connection with the sun, sky and seasons, is affecting today's youth and might aggravate many modern problems such as attention deficit disorder. He puts the proposition forward and asks parents to draw their own conclusions. Do kids need more nature or not?
The staff at the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center (NFBIC), in Danby, Vt., were inspired by “Last Child in the Woods” and now sponsor a Web site for educators called www.thebulbproject.org. The interactive Web site gives educators, youth group leaders and home schoolers a forum for the exchange of ideas and a growing library of learning activities that use flower bulbs to connect young people and nature. For more flower bulb information see www.bulb.com.
