Birds of Wyoming

(2010) Doug Faulkner

Good reference to status and distribution of birds in Wyoming.

 

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder

Richard Louv

 

The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder

Richard Louv

Richard Louv is a journalist and author of eight books about the connections between family, nature and community. Louv is also the founding chairman of the Children & Nature Network at www.childrenandnature.org, an organization helping build the movement to connect today's children and future generations to the natural world.

 

Partnering with Nature: The Wild Path to Reconnecting with the Earth

Catriona MacGregor

Catriona MacGregor has advised NGOs and government agencies on the value of environmental education.

 

Thunder Tree: Lessons from an Urban Wildland

Robert Michael Pyle

Reveals the deep relationship between people—especially children—and the natural world.

 

Wild Play: Parenting adventures in the great outdoors

David Sobel

A trailblazing environmental educator raised his children in the heart of nature. His story shows other parents how they can counter today’s pervasive “nature deficit.”

 

Childhood and Nature: Design Principles for Educators

David Sobel

Meaningful connections with the natural world begin in our own backyards and communities. Based on his observations of play themes around the world, Sobel details seven design principles that can guide teachers in structuring learning experiences for children.

 

Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life

Stephen R. Kellert, Judith H. Heerwagen, and Martin L. Mador

Biophilic Design is a series of essays looking at the design and construction of buildings and communities in relation to the natural world. Two essays in particular focus on the impact of these design decisions on children: “Healthy Planet, Healthy Children: Designing Nature into the Daily Spaces of Childhood,” and “Children and the Success of Biophilic Design."

 

A Natural Sense of Wonder: Connecting Kids with Nature Through the Seasons

Rick Van Noy

Van Noy, an English professor and father, chronicles his efforts to turn his children’s attention from their television and computer screens to the outdoors. In a series of essays organized mostly by season, he describes a host of outdoor adventures including swimming, hiking, gardening, and fishing with his family.

 

Moving the Classroom Outdoors: Schoolyard-Enhanced Learning in Action

Herbert W. Broda

Since Herb Broda published Schoolyard-Enhanced Learning, his groundbreaking first book on outdoor learning, many schools across North America have embraced the benefits of "greening" their learning programs. Herb has visited dozens of these schools and nature centers, and he showcases the very best examples of schoolyard-enhanced learning in action in this new book.

 

Look to the Mountain: An Ecology of Indigenous Education

(1994) Gregory Cajete

An accomplished author, educator and artist, this is the earliest of Cajete’s books. Although written especially for a Native American audience, the wisdom of Cajete’s approaches is applicable to the development of learning environments for all youth and the communities within which they live.

 

Natural Learning: Creating Environments for Rediscovering Nature’s Way of Teaching

(1997) Robin C. Moore and Herb H. Wong

This is the classic sourcebook for how to transform an asphalt playground into a rich, relevant and natural place for learning. This ten-year life history of Washington Elementary School’s environmental schoolyard in Berkeley is a must-read story today. The concepts here can be applied to backyards, city parks, schoolyards and more.

 

Sharing Nature with Children

(1998) Joseph Cornell

Another classic, "Sharing Nature with Children" has been translated into more than a dozen languages and sold nearly half a million copies. The revised 20th anniversary edition features even more ideas for giving children memorable experiences in nature.

 

 

Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature, 2nd Edition

Jon Young, Ellen Haas, and Evan McGown

Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature offers dozens of activities, stories, and games, for parents, caregivers, and educators. This book has gathered a devoted following, setting new standards for an environmental literacy that engages body, mind and spirit.

 

A Parent's Guide to Nature Play:  How to Give Your Children More Outdoor Play, and Why You Should!

Ken Finch

Ken Finch, founder of Green Hearts Institute, has published this brand-new booklet for parents. Downloadable as a PDF, this 20 page guide helps parents understand the key elements of great nature play, why it is important, and how they can integrate it into their children’s daily lives.

 

Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens

Doug Tallamy

Doug Tallamy believes that children and their families help salvage – or build – the biodiversity of our world by naturalizing their back yards. Tallamy is professor and chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware.

 

Peripheral Visions: Learning Along the Way

(1994) Mary Catherine Bateson

All of Bateson’s books are artful and inspiring. This is one that is especially helpful for creating a sense of home and community in a complex and changing world.

 

The Geography of Childhood: Why Children Need Wild Places

(1994) Gary Paul Nabhan and Stephen Trimble

Though published more than a decade ago, "The Geography of Childhood" remains as relevant as ever. Written by two fathers who are naturalists, it makes vivid through essays and anecdotes the importance of a direct experience of nature in childhood development.

 

Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment and the Human Prospect

(2004) David W. Orr

David W. Orr is chair of the environmental studies program at Oberlin College in Ohio and credited with the simple, but profound statement, "When we heal the Earth, we heal ourselves." This ten-year anniversary edition of Earth in Mind is as prophetic, provocative, wise and inspirational as when it was first written.

Children and Nature: Psychological, Sociocultural and Evolutionary Investigations

(2002)  Stephen R. Kellert and Peter Kahn

Incorporating research from psychology, ecology, environmental studies, and other disciplines, "Children and Nature" examines topics such as the evolutionary significance of nature during childhood, how contact with nature affects children’s physical and mental development, and the educational and political consequences of the weakened childhood experience of nature in modern society.

Great Outdoors America

by the Outdoor Resources Review Group

The "Great Outdoors America" report by the Outdoor Resources Review Group is the first major assessment of the nation's outdoor resources since a 1987. Released in July 2009, this comprehensive assessment of the nation's outdoor resources makes several key recommendations for safeguarding natural resources and increasing outdoor recreation opportunities. The Outdoor Resources Review Group has also published a series of backgrounders that cover a range of topics including the relationship between outdoor recreation, health, and wellness.