Iowa County Officials Warn of Nature-Deficit Disorder
KCCI 8 – April 02, 2008
Officials with the Polk County Health Department and Polk County Conservation Board are calling on Iowa parents to help prevent "nature deficit disorder."
“Treatment for Nature Deficit Disorder does not require a trip to the doctor or a prescription. Simply allowing children a few uninterrupted hours in a neighborhood thicket or trees can address the disorder,” said Pat Boddy, director of Polk County Conservation.
Officials said they're concerned with the number of children missing out on outdoor fun. They cited a 2005 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation that showed children ages 8-18 spend an average of 45 hours a week watching TV and playing video games.
The Conservation Board has developed a number of programs that help kids interact with nature, including nature walks, a class on learning how to fish, a class on wildlife babies and more.
You can find an updated list on the board's Web site.
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C&NN has designated April "Children & Nature Awareness Month." As part of this effort, we invited network members (like you) to list their April programs and share their strategies for building public awareness. Find out what's happening in your community on the C&NN Movement Map.
As part of our ongoing efforts to build the movement, the Children & Nature Network has published two new resources for leaders, organizers, and participants at the local, national, and international levels:
An annotated bibliography of 20 premier studies focusing on the children and nature connection.
