Read 'n' Seed 5: Fourth Quarter & Final Review of "Last Child in the Woods"

I have just finished reading the end of Last Child in the Woods. It was 316 pages in total. The last few chapters covered what Louv calls "The Fourth Frontier." This is the future of our country and what needs to be done to save our children from nature-deficit disorder.

One of the main things that needs to be done is create "play reservations." These would be safe places for children to play in the nature. They would be outdoors in nature but they would have boundaries so that there is a sense of safety. One of the reasons these need to be created is because land owners have a huge sense of fear of what could happen if a child was to get hurt on their land. Laws about this are very confusing and any legal action has been inconsistent from judge to judge. By creating the play reservations, children would have somewhere in nature to play and landowners would be safe from legal action.

Another solution that Louv listed was that houses need to be constructed with green roofs. These are the roofs that have grass on top and he wants to take it a step further to include plants that are native to the region. This would help with the wildlife to stay connected to the area as well. He calls it "re-enchanting the city," which deals with inviting the animals back to the city. It seems like a good idea but I immediately think of the deer we have in Duluth. They exist here but they do not seem happy or healthy by any means. I do not think of that as the nature we should be experiencing.

Overall, I liked this book. It was biased about the need for nature in children's lives but Louv did a good job of not targeting anyone or group of people for being completely at fault. He also offered advice of what you can do in your community to help.

The three most significant things I learned:

1. Nature would be a great additional therapy for those with ADHD.
2. Some schools are cutting recess, yet others are adding gardening in with their science courses
3. Fear of safety is the largest barrier standing between children and nature. This is somewhat because of their parents. 

I grew up spending the majority of my free time outside. We went fishing and hiking on every family vacation. It is scary to think that children in kindergarten are being diagnosed with depression which may be due to them spending so much time inside in the dark. It is clear to me that there is a correlation between not spending enough time outside and unhealthy lifestyles. We need to encourage parents to educate their children about the outdoors so that they can enjoy it just like we have in the past, and so that they live healthier lives!

I recommend this book to someone who enjoys the outdoors. It was a bit dry and would not be intended for someone who prefers spending time inside because I do not believe the information would be enough to simply change their opinion on the outdoors. It would be a great aid for those who want ideas and support for getting children outside.