Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young; it travels along grass-stained sleeves to the heart. If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must also save an endangered species: the child in nature.
– Richard Louv
Twenty years ago, these words sparked a movement.
In 2005, author and Children & Nature Network co-founder Richard Louv published his groundbreaking book, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from NatureDeficit Disorder.” In it, he documented what many parents and educators already sensed but couldn’t name: that childhood had moved indoors, disconnected from the natural world. While “nature-deficit disorder” was never intended to be a medical diagnosis, it became a lens through which physicians, educators and caregivers could see and name a quiet crisis unfolding in homes, schools and communities. It became a rallying cry for a movement to reconnect children to nature.
From that call to action, the Children & Nature Network was born.
What began as an idea in the pages of a book has grown into an international movement of cross-sector leaders united by the belief that equitable access to nature is not a luxury, but a fundamental right for every child, regardless of
zip code, income or background. The movement Richard envisioned – one that honors the deep interconnection of children and the natural world – is now a proven force for change.
As we approach the Children & Nature Network’s 20th anniversary in 2027, we are proud to introduce the Richard Louv Impact Fund – an opportunity to honor the founder whose vision galvanized a movement and to build a financial foundation that will carry that movement forward.
We invite you to join us.
We have each had the profound honor of leading the Children & Nature Network through different chapters of its history: Cheryl as a cofounder and inaugural CEO, and Sarah whose leadership as President & CEO for the past 13 years has carried the legacy forward. Together, we are committed to securing the future of this organization and ensuring that Richard Louv’s vision endures for generations to come.
— Dr. Cheryl Charles and Sarah Milligan-Toffler, Richard Louv Impact Fund Co-chairs
2005
Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder is published, becomes an international best-seller and ignites a movement.
2006
Richard Louv and a group of experts on children’s well-being and movementbuilding co-found the nonprofit Children & Nature Network to connect and spark grassroots nature connection initiatives around the world.
2007
First collection of research on the benefits of nature curated; first “grassroots gathering” of national leaders convened, which would grow to become our annual international conference in 2015.
2008
Natural Leaders Network formed to engage diverse young leaders; first national Children & Nature Research Summit convened in partnership with the University of Minnesota and Yale.
2011
First Natural Leaders Legacy Camp empowers young organizers to increase nature connection in their communities.
2014
Cities Connecting Children to Nature (CCCN) initiative launched with the National League of Cities to engage municipal leaders in creating equitable access to nature.
2016
Network of green schoolyards leaders convened to develop a national green schoolyards agenda. Six U.S. cities participate in first CCCN technical assistance cohort. Online Research Library launched with 400 peer-reviewed research articles. First issue of monthly Research Digest published.
2020
FindingNature.org launched as emergency response to COVID-19 pandemic, followed by new Children & Nature Network website offering a robust Resource Hub and Finding Nature News. First Youth Outdoor Equity Leadership mini-grants awarded.
2022
Nature Everywhere initiative launched as next phase of CCCN; 32 communities engaged. Casey Family Programs partnership launched to infuse family therapy services with nature. Ninth international conference held in Atlanta, Georgia, featuring Dr. Jane Goodall and launch of the Richard Louv Prize.
2025
Nature Everywhere Communities initiative advancing nature access in 100 U.S. communities; independent evaluation reports that lasting change in nature access is taking root. Research Library holds more than 1,500 summarized and peer-reviewed research articles.
Our impact
The Children & Nature Network is a global leader in increasing equitable access to nature. Over the past 20 years, we’ve built the evidence for nature connection and a network of cross-sector leaders to advance it. And we’ve partnered with more than 100 communities through our Nature Everywhere initiative to successfully connect children to nature everywhere they live, learn and play. Here’s what that looks like in real places, for real children and families:
Cincinnati, Ohio
Our Nature Everywhere team has helped Cincinnati move from greening individual school grounds to district-wide impact in a remarkably short time. We support the community’s Green Schoolyards Action Network, which is on its way to transforming all 65 Cincinnati Public School campuses with outdoor learning spaces that offer nature-based curriculum, expand green career pathways and connect students to fresh food through a garden-to-cafeteria program. Twenty new green schoolyards were completed in 2024 and 2025; more are underway.
Lowell, Massachusetts
Since joining our Nature Everywhere initiative in 2023, nature access has become a shared community value in Lowell. The city received one of our $50,000 implementation grants to increase the use of existing green spaces and bring nature-based play and learning to schools, parks and natural areas. A new nature play area at the Pawtucket Farm and Wildlife Sanctuary will directly benefit more than 30,000 youth and families. Youth are at the center of Lowell’s Nature Everywhere effort, assisting with programming, participating in focus groups, and helping with data collection.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia’s Prescribe Outside program joined our Nature Everywhere initiative to advance an idea that would have seemed unusual not long ago: what if doctors prescribed time in nature the same way they prescribe medicine? With support from our technical assistance team, a group of pediatricians, community educators, arboretum staff and park advocates came together to turn that idea into practice. Through the Prescribe Outside program, nearly 1,000 families received nature prescriptions and participated in outdoor programs in 2024 and 2025. The coalition’s work reached beyond the clinic: Pennsylvania joined other states in passing a Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights, a strategy we help communities and states enact to enshrine in law the principle that every child deserves access to nature.
Boulder, Colorado
In Boulder, a coalition of city departments, schools and community organizations started asking an important question: which kids in our city can’t easily get to a park or green space? The answer changed everything. Using mapping tools developed with our support, city planners identified the neighborhoods where children had the least access to nature — and started building toward them. One effort to make a single park safer and more accessible ultimately led the city to invest $8 million in rebuilding a nearby bridge, making it easier for families to get to the park. Over two years, 3,500 children participated in outdoor learning experiences that simply hadn’t existed before. Nature access is now written into Boulder’s citywide plan as a civic priority.
These aren’t isolated success stories. An independent evaluation found the same results in every community we work with: when community leaders bring the right partners to the table and participate in our guided Nature Everywhere process – which provides technical assistance, funding, peer learning and practical tools – real change follows in neighborhood parks, schools, pediatric offices and city hall. Not just programs that come and go, but lasting shifts in how communities prioritize children’s access to nature.
RICHARD LOUV PRIZE AWARD WINNERS
The Children & Nature Network also invests in individuals who are driving meaningful change. The Richard Louv Prize for Innovation in Nature Connection – a $15,000 annual award – recognizes leaders whose work is expanding access to nature in bold, replicable ways. Now in its fifth year, Richard Louv Prize recipients are representative of a movement that is broader, more diverse and more innovative than any single organization could be.
Atiya Wells, the inaugural Louv Prize recipient, transformed a neglected 10-acre lot in Baltimore, Maryland’s Frankford neighborhood into BLISS Meadows – a thriving nature space and community garden serving thousands of residents within walking distance, built on a model designed to be replicated in communities of color across the country. 2022
Luis Alberto Camargo founded OpEPA in Bogotá and has spent 25 years creating immersive nature experiences for children across Colombia – reaching 130,000 young people and training over 5,000 educators, with a model now replicated in 13 cities in partnership with Colombia’s Ministry of the Environment.
Jason Stout built grief support programs in nature for military families and bereaved teens through Outward Bound and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) – and broke new ground by making outdoor education eligible for 529 College Savings Plans, unlocking $1.9 million in new funding for nature-based learning.
CJ Goulding has spent more than a decade mentoring young leaders at the intersection of outdoor equity and community organizing, and co-founded Boyz N The Wood – which uses restorative outdoor retreats to help Black men heal, connect, and lead, offering every retreat entirely free of charge.
Carol Peralta launched the Rooted Resilience program at Wildwoods in Los Angeles, California, to connect families who have experienced migration-related trauma to the healing power of nature. Built upon a systems-thinking framework, the program is delivered in partnership with the La Linterna Clinic, an interdisciplinary, trauma-informed clinical program.
Richard Louv Impact Fund: Honoring a vision, securing the future
The Richard Louv Impact Fund is the Children & Nature Network’s signature initiative to honor Richard Louv’s founding vision and secure it for the future. Timed to celebrate the organization’s 20th anniversary in 2027, the fund will support three enduring goals:
• Permanently endow the Richard Louv Prize to recognize exceptional leadership in the children and nature movement;
• Seed bold new programs, partnerships and advocacy initiatives; and
• Strengthen the Children & Nature Network’s long-term financial foundation, allowing the organization to grow in reach and impact.
With a campaign goal of $1 million in commitments by March 2027, the Richard Louv Impact Fund represents a rare opportunity to create a legacy at a moment of genuine urgency. The mental health crisis, impacts of climate change and systemic inequities experienced by today’s children and youth have made access to nature not a “nice to have,” but a necessity. The Children & Nature Network is uniquely positioned to meet this need, at scale.
Founding gifts will be recognized at the 2027 Nature Everywhere Conference, where the fund will be announced alongside the 2027 Richard Louv Prize recipient. This moment will also mark the 20th anniversary of the Children & Nature Network – and launch the next 20 years with momentum and purpose.
JOIN US
We have set a goal of reaching $1 million in Richard Louv Impact Fund commitments by March 2027. The earliest gifts will shape what’s possible. If you have walked any part of this journey alongside Richard, alongside the Children & Nature Network, or alongside the children and families our movement serves, we hope you will be among those who lead the way.
Gifts and multi-year pledges (up to five years) of any size are welcome. For those exploring more significant commitments, we are glad to discuss gifts of stock, planned giving, and other giving vehicles that may offer meaningful tax advantages. Please reach out to us — we would love to talk with you about how your support can make the greatest difference.
To make a gift or learn more, contact Keith Desrosiers at keith@childrenandnature.org, 303.378.6549.
