Mary Forgione describes in her article of 3 January 2020 in Los Angeles Times on fresh ways to connect, or reconnect, to nature in 2020.

As she says: “You’re just not getting out enough. Really. Author and environmentalist Richard Louv has been warning the world about nature-deficit disorder, loosely described as a state in which humans lose their connection with the outdoors.

“An expanding body of scientific evidence suggests that nature-deficit disorder contributes to a diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, conditions of obesity, and higher rates of emotional and physical illnesses,” Louv writes on the website of the organization he founded, the Children & Nature Network (childrenandnature.org). “Research also suggests that the nature deficit weakens ecological literacy and stewardship of the natural world.”

And she continues:

“Indeed. The 2017 Nature of Americans report surveyed 12,000 people and found that while the majority highly valued contact with the natural world, half said they spent five hours or less in nature each week — and that their children spent three times as many hours with computers and TV screens as they did playing outside.

The good news? You can boost your bond with the outdoors right in your geographical backyard. For those who need a fresh start, or even a reboot, here are ways to connect with nature that could forge healthy habits that last a lifetime.”

Mary Forgione mentiones ways to connect: “like the hawk”, “into the pool”, “counting sheep” and “fish finding”.

Click here for the full article.