Nature is a hot topic.
Nature is a hot topic. Partly because the world is literally getting warmer, but also because the Western world and people that forgot their roots are finally catching on to the idea that we are a part of it, and therefore, being in nature is good for our bodies and little lizard brains.
You can find an abundance of research to back up the benefits of being in nature, but thanks to the Civic Ecology Lab at Cornell University, you don’t have to do the leg work. Here’s a vetted selection of top-notch nature content to consume at your whim. I would also recommend getting outside and doing the other kind of leg work though, research suggests it will help you focus on reading the research.
Stay tuned for more recommendations to expand your noggin. For now, these 13 should keep you busy:
Carson, R. (1965). The sense of wonder. New York: Harper & Row Publishers. — PDF file.— Read the whole book, which contains more photos than text.
Kellert, S. R., & Wilson, E. O. (Eds.). (1993). The biophilia hypothesis. Washington, D.C.: Island Press. — PDF file — Read Chapter 2 “The biological basis for human values of nature”.
Comstock, A. B. (1911). Handbook of nature-study for teachers and parents. Ithaca, New York: Comstock Publishing Company. — PDF file — Read about “nature study” in Anne Comstock’s book (only pages 1-3, but you can read more if you want). In addition, we’ve included three sample chapters from this book (lessons about plants and water), so you can see examples of nature study lessons.
Cornell, J. B. (1979). Sharing nature with children: A parents’ and teachers’ nature-awareness guidebook. Nevada City, California: Ananda Publications. — PDF file — Read any pages from this excerpt from Joseph Cornell’s book.
Sauvé (2005). Currents in environmental education: Mapping a complex and evolving pedagogical field. Canadian journal of environmental education, 10, 11-37. — PDF file — Read about the “Naturalist Current” (pages 13-14).
Krasny, M E. 2020. Chapter 8 Nature Connectedness. In Advancing Environmental Education Practice. Cornell University Press. — PDF file
Leopold, A. (1949). A Sand County almanac and sketches here and there. New York: Oxford University Press. — PDF file. — This chapter is about Leopold’s “Land ethic”.
Wals, A. E., & Benavot, A. (2017). Can we meet the sustainability challenges? The role of education and lifelong learning. European Journal of Education, 52(4), 404-413. — PDF file — Read about the “3. Education and Environmental Sustainability” (pages 405-407).
Louv, R. (2008). Last child in the woods: Saving our children from nature-deficit disorder. New York: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
TNC Nature Lab: Explore lesson plans with videos! https://www.natureworkseverywhere.org/resources
Children and Nature Network https://www.childrenandnature.org, explore Research Library https://research.childrenandnature.org/
Nature Pedagogy International Association https://www.naturepedagogy.com
Nature Play https://natureplaysa.org.au
