Preventing “Nature-Deficit Disorder”: HCT programs for kids & families cultivate curiosity and connection

To support HCT’s Nature Programs for Kids & Families in 2026, please click here.

We live in a world of screens and phones, somehow so necessary to modern life that they seem like appendages. It’s too easy to fall into this flickering realm and miss beautiful things in the real-world, like a soaring osprey, a monarch butterfly perched on a milkweed pod or the sweet green blur of a breeze rustling the marsh grass.

The elixir of imagination and discovery that flows from the natural world can’t be found on an iPhone. Scrolling can’t replace patrolling a trail, wondering what the chipmunks are saying to each other, why leaves change color and even if pirates might have buried treasure behind that big rock.

This nutritious outdoor magic is important for everyone, but especially for children, who can be swamped by technology and miss the wonders beyond the length of their phone charging cord.

In his groundbreaking book, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder,” a New York times bestseller, child advocacy expert Richard Louv explores the growing disconnect between children and the natural world, due to factors including increased screen time and a lack of access to natural places. Louv makes the case that this tech intrusion is harmful for children’s mental and physical health.

A quote from a fourth grader in San Diego, prominently featured at the beginning of the book, provides insight into how children’s outdoor behavior has changed in recent years: “I like to play indoors better ’cause that’s where all the electrical outlets are.”

Here are some of the takeaways from Louv’s book:

–“In the United States, children are spending less time outdoors — or in any unstructured way. From 1997 to 2003, there was a decline of 50 percent in the proportion of children nine to twelve who spent time in such outside activities as hiking, walking, fishing, beach play, and gardening,” according to a University of Maryland study.

–According to a Manhattanville College survey, “71 percent of today’s mothers said they recalled playing outdoors every day as children, but only 26 percent of them said their kids play outdoors daily.”

–“Recent studies describe tantalizing evidence that that links time spent outdoors to other health benefits, beyond weight control, that may be specific to the actual experience of nature.”

–“Nature also offers nurturing solitude. A study of Finnish teenagers showed that they often went into natural settings after upsetting events; there, they could clear their minds and gain perspective and relax.”

–“Studies suggest that exposure to nature may reduce the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and that it can improve all children’s cognitive abilities and resistance to negative stresses and depression.”

HCT programs introduce kids to the joys of nature

Helping children discover nature is an important part of Harwich Conservation Trust’s (HCT) mission. Thanks to your generous support, HCT has been able to provide hundreds of free programs for children, led by HCT Naturalist Andrea Higgins. These programs include Newbies in Nature, Ecosystem Explorers, and Monomoy Regional School District programs for diverse learners with different abilities.

“It definitely fills my heart to open the door to the wonder that is the Harwich Conservation Trust and the properties that are preserved forever,” said Higgins at HCT’s Annual Meeting in August at the Wequassett Resort. “These are really sweet, tender moments that our children are sharing with their caregivers and their grandparents, and these are places that they can continue to return to again and again.”

Liz Adams, a parent whose children are frequent participants in these HCT programs, described what Higgins’ work has meant for her family. “This program is preserving the things that are disappearing from our lives, particularly our kids’ lives,” she said. “It’s a once-a-week opportunity to slow down and really be present, to appreciate the little things, to take time outside and get away from being in front of screens. There’s an opportunity to foster creativity.”

Louv’s book concludes with this resonant passage: “We have such a brief opportunity to pass on to our children our love for this Earth, and to tell our stories. These are moments when the world is made whole.”

With your help, we hope to continue this important work with free children’s programs in 2026. We seek to raise $50,000 to provide 250 of Andrea’s unique family adventures.

To donate in support of these valuable programs, please click here.

—Sign up for HCT eNews, a great way to stay in the loop about exciting HCT events, guided walks and other interesting news.

—Your tax-deductible contribution can help keep HCT family programs free for youngsters in 2026. And your land-saving financial support helps us preserve beautiful properties that can become stellar trail destinations where folks of all ages can learn about the natural world. Find out how to donate by clicking here.